Imprisoned
by Once.Evil.Regal
Summary: My very own season 2. Magic has returned to Storybrooke, and Regina seizes her opportunity for revenge. But plans go awry as an unexpected enemy surfaces, leaving the townspeople reeling in the wake of a tragic loss. No Swan Queen, but lots of good Emma/Regina, Regina/Henry and Emma/Henry moments to come. Plenty of Snow/Charming/Emma as well.
1. Chapter 1

**This takes place immediately after the events of the season 1 finale.**

Chapter 1

Emma stared out at the fast approaching cloud, her heart hammering, her head spinning. Her day had taken so many impossible twists and turns that she wasn't sure she could take any more without her head exploding. She felt Henry's arms cling to her suddenly and she wrapped her own arms around him. There was no shielding him from what was coming, she knew, but she clung to him tightly, pulling him close. There was a sudden roaring as the cloud reached the windows and Emma snapped her eyes shut as the glass shattered. The roaring filled her, deafened her, and she could feel the sound reverberating within her body. Her whole body tensed and she couldn't fill her lungs to scream. The realization that she couldn't breathe sent her brain into a frenzy, but before her panic could truly set in the cloud disappeared. Shaken, Emma opened her eyes and looked down at Henry. He was clearly just as shaken as Emma, but otherwise he was unharmed.

"What was that?" Emma asked breathlessly, not really expecting an answer.

But an answer came nonetheless. "Magic has returned."

Emma turned towards the voice and nearly fell backwards, startled. Hovering just above her head, right where Mother Superior had been standing moments before was a very small, very blue fairy. Emma opened her mouth to speak but could not form any intelligible words. The fairy laughed, not unkindly. "You're the blue fairy!" Henry exclaimed, delighted.

"Yes, Henry. We owe you our gratitude for believing in our stories, and for trying so hard to save us. You're a very brave boy, and it is your sacrifice that freed us." Henry blushed slightly, but as he smiled shyly his eyes gleamed. "Emma…you truly are the daughter Snow White and Prince James. I know how difficult you journey has been…"

"Can you watch Henry for a few minutes?" Emma interrupted suddenly. The Blue Fairy was clearly taken aback by the question.

"Emma, where are you going?" Henry asked, worried.

"I'll be right back, Henry, but I want you to stay here for a few minutes. You'll be safe here. Get dressed and be ready to go when I get back, ok?" Henry nodded. Emma glanced up at the Blue Fairy, who nodded, though her expression was still slightly puzzled. Emma gave Henry's shoulders a squeeze before quickly leaving the hospital room.

Once she was out of sight, Emma raced through the hospital and out the nearest exit. She sped through the streets faster and faster until she was sprinting down the road that would lead her to the apartment she shared with Mary Margaret. She raced up the stairs and fumbled with her keys, cursing as her hands shook, making it nearly impossible to open the door. When she finally managed to slip the key into the lock she flung open the door and slammed it shut behind her, turning the locks with her still trembling hands. Once the door was locked again she rested her back against the door, breathing heavily from exertion. "Mary Margaret?" She called out hesitantly.

When no answer returned Emma made her way slowly towards the little kitchen. There she found a half-empty bottle of whisky and quickly poured herself a glass. She swallowed several mouthfuls, grateful for the scorching heat that licked down her throat and spread outwards from her stomach to her limbs. The tenseness in her muscles began to loosen, but would not melt away completely. Her head was throbbing, thoughts spinning too fast to make sense of. She poured a little more whisky and raised the drink to her forehead, pressing the cool glass against her skin. Just as she felt some relief setting in there was a noise behind her and the door swung open. Emma whirled to face…Mary Margaret? Snow White? She had no idea what to call this woman, but Emma refused to think of this woman as her mother.

"I had a feeling you'd be here," Snow said.

"Don't…" Emma started, not entirely sure what she actually wanted to say. She just didn't want to face any more fairy tales. But before she could even attempt to finish her thought, Snow flew past her and pulled open the linen closet door. She grabbed a handful of sheets and towels and frantically began covering all the mirrors, as well as closing all of the curtains. Emma followed her into the bedroom, watching her work, startled by the look of near panic on her face. "What are you doing?"

"I can't be sure, but if magic is really here in Storybrooke, the Queen must have her own magic back. And if she has her magic back…well, better to be safe." Snow turned to face Emma. The two women's eyes met and they could feel the truth lingering between them.

"Emma…"

"How old were you?" Emma asked, her expression blank, a slight edge in her voice.

"What?" Snow just stared, bewildered.

"How old were you when…" Emma couldn't bring herself to say 'when the Queen cast the Dark Curse' so she simply said, "when you came here."

"Does it matter?" Snow asked, her voice softening.

"How old were you?" Emma repeated.

"Emma, I don't…"

"HOW OLD WERE YOU?" Emma bellowed.

Snow flinched slightly at the sudden outburst. "Twenty-four," she answered quietly. "Does it really matter?"

"Does it matter?" Emma couldn't stop the anger that swelled inside her, only increasing the throbbing in her head. "I came here thinking I was helping my kid, indulging his fantasy, and now I'm fighting dragons and talking to fairies and watching my SON nearly die from a poisoned apple? I spend my whole life thinking I was abandoned and left for dead and now I'm supposed to accept that my parents sent me away so I could come back and save them from some Evil Queen, who just so happens to be the adoptive mother of my son? I spend my whole life looking for my parents and now I'm supposed to accept that my best friend is actually Snow White, my mother, and she's FOUR YEARS YOUNGER THAN ME? Yes it damn well does matter!"

Snow's eyes shone with tears, but she fought them back. "I know this has been hard for you to accept. You have to believe me; I wanted to go with you."

"But you didn't," Emma hissed, her voice filling with venom as she spoke. "You didn't want to go with me. At best you were a coward, at worst you were too selfish to leave your _prince_. Either way you stuck me in a wardrobe with a little boy who had no business taking care of an infant and just…"

"What are you talking about?" Snow interrupted. Anger crept into her voice and she took a step towards Emma.

"You let a little boy do what YOU should have done!" Emma bellowed.

Snow took another slow step towards Emma, holding her hands in front of her as if she were approaching a wild animal. "Emma – tell me what you're talking about. What little boy?"

Emma stood staring for a moment, bewildered. "August. P-Pinocchio."

Snow's eyes widened in horror. "Pinocchio...went through the wardrobe? With you?" Emma nodded slowly. Snow shook her head, her tears finally breaking free.

"You didn't know?" Emma asked, her voice slightly hoarse from yelling.

"The Blue Fairy told us the wardrobe could only take one. Gepetto…he must have lied to us. Oh Emma…I was supposed to go with you, but you were born before the wardrobe was finished. You have to believe me, if I had known the wardrobe could hold two I would have gone with you. I would have left everything, risked everything…" Snow stopped, unable to continue without breaking into sobs. Emma felt her own tears stinging her eyes. It was too much, too impossible. Snow took a few more tentative steps, bringing her close to Emma, and she slowly wrapped her arms around her grown-up daughter. Emma inhaled sharply, her body tensing automatically. But as she felt her friend's – her mother's – arms close around her, the tension melted and her own sobs broke. She threw her arms around Snow and let her tears fall as Snow whispered, "It's alright now," in her ear.

It was several minutes later when Emma was finally able to release Snow, her tears beginning to subside. The two women smiled. Emma still felt a lingering awkwardness as she stared into the face of the young woman she still thought of as Mary Margaret, but it no longer felt like a brick wall between them. "So," Emma said, taking a step back and wiping her tears with both hands, "Snow White, huh?"

Snow laughed. "Wait a second…Did you say August is Pinocchio? He's so grown up."

"August!" Emma wanted to kicked herself for not remembering sooner. "He…he turned back into wood. He was supposed to help me break the curse, but he failed, and…I have to go check on him; there has to be something I can do."

"Wait! Where is Henry? We need to make sure he's safe."

"He's at the hospital with the Blue Fairy." Something about her 'reunion' with Snow had drained Emma's emotions to the point where she no longer cared that she was continuously talking about fairy tale characters.

"I'll go get him. Meet us at Granny's; I'm going to get everyone together so we can come up with a plan. Bring Pinocchio…if you can." Emma nodded and both women left the apartment, heading their separate ways with a lingering gaze, anxious for time together without the pressing concern of an Evil Queen on their heels.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Henry?" Snow called as she stepped into the hospital room. She couldn't help the sense of panic within her, though she had no reason to suspect Henry was in immediate danger. Her fears were quickly eased.

"Miss Blanchard! Or should I say Snow White? You do remember who you are, right?" Henry was dressed and waiting with his backpack already slung over his shoulder. The Blue Fairy was hovering nearby.

"Yes. Thank you, Henry." She gave him a tight hug. "I'm so proud of you," she smiled as she released him. She looked up at the Blue Fairy, who returned her gaze sheepishly.

"I suppose you know now what happened," she said.

"You lied to us. Emma grew up all alone, with no idea who she was or where she came from. I could have watched my child grown up, but you ripped that away from me." Snow managed to keep her voice steady, but she couldn't keep the fury out of it.

"It was never my intention. The plan was for you, Emma and Pinocchio to go in the wardrobe. When Emma was being born I told Gepetto that the plan had changed, that Pinocchio couldn't go…"

"And you let him decide? You expected him to sacrifice his child to the curse? Of course he was going to lie! Of course he was going to save Pinocchio no matter what the consequences! How could you just let that happen, just lie to us and then disappear when things didn't go according to plan? YOU TOOK MY CHILD AWAY FROM ME!" Snow screamed. The Blue Fairy was silent, her eyes downcast. She had no justification, and Snow wasn't interested in listening to her anyway. "Come on, Henry."

* * *

Emma climbed up the last few steps and quickly crossed the threshold to stand in front of August's – Pinocchio's – door. She held up her hand to knock but she heard a shuffling inside and the door opened. "August!" Emma threw her arms around him with a sigh of relief.

"I guess it's Pinocchio now," he said with a chuckle.

"You've been August longer than you were Pinocchio," Emma pointed out, releasing her grip.

"True. I think I'll stick with it." He smiled. "I knew you could break the curse."

"Yeah, well, it didn't all go according to plan," Emma said. She noticed August's confused expression and continued, "You didn't see it?"

"I think I was out of it for a while. What happened?"

"That…cloud. Whatever it was. It brought magic to Storybrooke."

"How is that possible? This world doesn't have magic."

"I have no idea, but someone obviously figured it out. Mary- Snow White…" Emma shook off the awkwardness, "wants everyone to meet at Granny's Diner to figure out our next move. She's worried the Queen might have regained her magic."

"I don't think Regina is the one you need to worry about. Rumplestiltskin is a lot more powerful than the Queen," August warned.

"That may be true, but Regina's a hell of a lot more pissed off. We'll just have to worry about Rumplestiltskin later. God, I can't believe what I'm saying." Emma could feel the headache setting in again.

August chuckled. "You'll get used to it. It only sounds strange because you grew up thinking those stories were myths. You need to live with it for a while." He grabbed his keys off the desk and his coat off the chair, then followed Emma down the stairs.

"What did people do when you told them your name was Pinocchio?" Emma asked, genuinely curious.

"Told me I was a liar, of course." They both laughed. "It was a pretty confusing time for me. I knew I was in a different land, and that magic didn't exist, but I didn't expect them to know all these stories about us. I knew I wouldn't be able to tell anyone where I came from, or how I got here, but I didn't expect them to call me crazy just for telling them my name."

Emma couldn't help feeling sorry for him. She didn't blame him for leaving; he was only a child, and he was stuck in a foreign world growing up in the same kinds of lousy foster homes that Emma lived in. "How do people here even know all those stories? If Henry's book is true…"

"I'm pretty sure it is, but I don't know a lot of those stories very well," August said.

"Well if they _are_ true, and if your story is any indication, the stories everyone knows are nothing like what actually happened. Still, enough of the details match up…"

"Our worlds must have come in contact with each other at some point."

"But the stories here are centuries old, and Snow White...well she's definitely not centuries old. It doesn't make sense."

"Maybe time runs differently between the two worlds," August's voice trailed off and his pace slowed.

"What's wrong?" Emma asked, slowing her own stride.

"Nothing," August said, shaking his head. Emma wanted to push him, but they were now within view of Granny's Diner and they could see quite a crowd gathering inside. Emma steeled herself to face more fairytale characters.

As she and August stepped inside the crowded diner a hush fell over the crowd. Low murmuring began, and finally everyone burst into cheers and applause. 'Thank you' and 'well done' and 'you did it!' could be heard from every person in the diner, even people Emma had never met before. Some of them, like Granny and Ruby, hadn't changed in the slightest and were instantly recognizable to Emma. Others, like the Blue Fairy and Jiminy Cricket, were drastically different. Emma spotted the tiny green cricket sitting on Snow's shoulder, and he appeared to be talking to her. Her brow was furrowed, but whether she was angry or merely concerned Emma couldn't tell in all the chaos. Emma suspected Jiminy might have been involved in the wardrobe fiasco, being such a good friend to Gepetto and Pinocchio, but she couldn't be sure what exactly had happened. She cursed herself for not having read Henry's book more thoroughly. She made a mental note to borrow it from him as soon as she had the chance.

"Quiet!" Charming called out. Emma racked her brains for a moment trying to remember his name, not wanting to call him Charming and unwilling to call him Father. James. The memory clicked and Emma felt strangely relieved. James was a name she could handle. 'It's actually Prince James', she reminded herself. The impact of these transformations was beginning to lessen, but Emma knew it would still take time for her to fully accept this insane turn of events.

"Well we all know why we're here," Snow began. "The curse has been broken." More cheers, quickly silenced again by James. "And Magic has come to Storybrooke. We don't know how, or why, or how far the magic extends, but we need to find out fast."

"It is my belief that Rumplestiltskin is responsible," the Blue Fairy said. She flew gracefully to hover next to Snow. "My magic has returned just as it was before we left the Enchanted Forest, and there is no reason to think the same is not true for Rumplestiltskin and…" she sighed, "the Evil Queen."

Anxious muttering began, and Snow let it go on for a few moments before she continued. "There is a great deal we don't know right now. With the curse broken we should have returned to the Enchanted Forest, but we haven't. It is vital we gather as much information as possible as quickly as possible. First, and most importantly, we must ensure that the curse is truly broken."

"I will fly to the town limits to test if we are still bound to Storybrooke," the Blue Fairy offered. Snow nodded, and she was off instantly through an open window.

"So we might be able to leave?" Red asked hesitantly.

"It's possible, but I think we all need to agree to stick together, at least for now. We've lived in this world for 28 years, but we don't belong here. Storybrooke is the safest place for us right now, at least until we know more."

"We need to find out how far the magic extends. If its reach extends beyond Storybrooke..." James let his voice trail off. Everyone knew the monumental implications of such a thing. Emma and August more than most.

"There is no need to fear," the Blue Fairy's voice carried into the diner moments before she herself appeared. "It appears the curse is indeed broken. I was able to travel beyond Storybrooke, but my magic vanished the moment I went beyond its borders."

"What does that mean for us?" Red asked, her eyes meeting Snow's.

"We all have a choice to make. We've lived in this world long enough to know what it had to offer. I wouldn't blame anyone for wanting to leave Storybrooke. I expect we'd all be much safer out there, without magic. But know that your only hope of returning to the Enchanted Forest is here, and it is only by standing together that we can bring justice to the woman who imprisoned us. The woman who ripped away our happiness." Snow's words hung heavy in the air. She reached for James's hand and there was a long, thick silence.

"Red needs her cloak." Granny broke the silence sounding uncharacteristically meek.

Snow nodded. "If it's here we'll find it."

"I should go. I can still help you outside of Storybrooke…"

"No. We have time to look." Snow smiled. "We'll figure it out, Red. I promise. You'll always be welcome here."

"She's a werewolf," Henry whispered to Emma, who was listening to everyone's reassurances with an expression of mild confusion.

"Wonderful," Emma muttered, slipping an arm around Henry's shoulders. He laughed quietly, echoed by August behind her.

"What of the Queen? I can't imagine she's taking this very well. No doubt she's plotting something; I don't think anyone's safe right now." Granny's voice carried over the murmur and everyone turned once again to Snow.

There was a long silence as everyone exchanged worried looks. Snow met Emma's gaze, and Emma could see the worry in her eyes. She had lost her child once, and Emma now understood the agony of that loss. Maybe Snow hadn't lived for 28 years thinking she was abandoned, but Emma could see the pain of their separation wounded Snow just as deeply as it did Emma. "I don't think she'll come after us right away. Not when we're all together, not when we're all here ready for her."

"Do we even know where she is? What kind of powers does she have, exactly?" Emma addressed the crow for the first time, though her comments were directed at Snow White.

"She'll be in her house. She won't let us scare her off now that she has her power back. I suspect she'll wait there until she thinks it's safe to carry out whatever she has planned. As for her powers…there's really no telling what she's capable of. All I know for sure is she could be watching any of us at any time. Everyone, make sure you cover all of your mirrors."

"It's not just mirrors," Henry piped up. "She can use any reflective surface. Sydney used to be a genie but she tricked him and he ended up being turned into a magic mirror by the last wish in his lamp. He can show her anyone's reflection is any surface through her mirrors." Everyone stared at Henry, dumbfounded. "It's in the book," he said dismissively.

"I'm going to talk to her," Emma said suddenly.

"Emma, no! You can't go near her, she'll…" Snow faltered, not wanting to frighten Henry. Her eyes were pleading with Emma.

"I'm not just gonna sit back and wait for her to come after me. Or anyone else," she added with a pointed look at Snow. She looked down at Henry. "I'll be alright. You believe that, don't you?"

Henry looked up at her with a very strange expression, and motioned for her to come down to his level. When she kneeled down, her leaned forward and said, in a very quiet whisper, "Don't kill her."

Emma was shocked by the worry in Henry's voice and his expression. "Henry, she tried to kill me," she replied in a whisper.

"You're the hero, remember? Heroes don't just murder the villain because they can. Please, Emma, please don't kill her." Emma could sense something deeper in Henry's words, and it suddenly dawned on her that, whatever Emma wanted to believe of Regina, she had still raised Henry. She was still Henry's mother, or at least she had been for the past 10 years. Emma had been so consumed by her own hatred of Regina, so drawn in by Henry's anger towards her, that she hadn't even considered the possibility that, deep down, Henry might actually care for this woman. And why shouldn't he? Regina herself had said it herself months ago – it was she who had changed every diaper, soothed every fever, and probably bandaged every cut and scrape, maybe even kissed them better. Evil Queen or not, Henry had every right to care for her.

Still, as Emma left Granny's diner, gun still strapped to her hip, she couldn't help fear that Henry's heart would inevitably end up broken.

**Hope you're enjoying it so far. I haven't written fanfiction in ages, but this show (and all of the amazing actors) has inspired me so much I just couldn't resist. And it certainly makes waiting for season 2 a little more bearable. So if you're loving the story as much as I am, click that little button at the bottom of the screen and let me know ^.^**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Emma could feel her pulse quicken as the mayor's house loomed over her. She paused at the gate, unsure exactly what she was hoping to achieve. Her hand dropped briefly to her gun, but she silently vowed not to use it. 'You're the hero, remember?' The words rang in her ears, and the desperation behind them sharpened in the memory. With a single deep breath, Emma pushed open the gate and marched up the path. For one absurd moment, standing at the door, she raised her fist to knock. "Oh please, come in, Sherriff. Can I offer you a glass of apple cider? Careful now – it has a wicked kick." Emma shook her head, trying to shake off the absurdity of her position. What did she expect to find inside? Regina in some royal gown with a crown on her head, pressing her fingertips together as she plotted her revenge? "Damned if I'm gonna let her just hole up in her cozy mansion while everyone spends their day looking over their shoulder for her," Emma muttered. With that she grabbed the doorknob and pushed it open, revealing the foyer within.

Regina's house was just as Emma remembered it. She couldn't quite explain why, but there was a small part of her that had been expecting…more. The simple, elegant décor was just so innocuous. It didn't feel right. "Come out, come out, wherever you are," Emma singsonged quietly.

"Very mature," a voice called. Emma turned towards the sound: Regina's office.

"It's all this fairytale nostalgia; I think it's going to my head," Emma said, walking into the study to find Regina standing with her back to the door, gazing out the window. Their eyes met in the reflection of the glass.

"It's nice to see you've embraced your role as saviour. Why am I not surprised they sent _you_ here?" Her voice was calm and steady, as though this were any other day of bickering over Henry.

"I guess it's too much to hope you'll cooperate and come quietly?" Emma asked with a slight smirk.

Regina turned slowly to face Emma. She was holding a small mirror in her hand. "You seem to be operating under the delusion that you have the upper hand here, Ms. Swan. I understand how your position may have bolstered your confidence, but you'd do well to learn your proper place."

"Kneeling before Your Majesty?" Emma mocked.

There was a puff of black smoke and suddenly Emma felt the iron grip of a strong hand around her throat. Her mind reeled, terror and panic flooding her, chasing away all coherent thought. But Emma was accustomed to danger and her brain quickly kicked in. She saw Regina, the anger and hatred burning in her eyes as she held Emma's throat, cutting off her oxygen. 'How did she do that?' she couldn't help wondering. 'Forget that, she's trying to kill you!' No, wait…with an enormous effort Emma managed to suck in a gasp of air. Regina's grip was not as solid as Emma had first thought. With one more enormous effort, Emma shoved hard, and Regina relinquished her grip. "Know what you're up against, Ms. Swan. It might just save your life one day," Regina warned, all of the malice now gone from her expression, replaced with triumphant smirk. Emma gasped, her hands rubbing her neck which she suspected was now red, if not bruised. She glared at Regina as she worked to steady her breathing. "Didn't even have time to reach for your gun. What a shame."

Emma pulled her gun from its holster, needing to feel the weight of it in her hand. She would not admit it to herself, nor would she show it in front of Regina, but she was scared and she hated that weakness. She realized far too late that she was in over her head. Part of her now suspected the weapon would be about as effective as it had been against the dragon. Seconds later she discovered it was even more useless as a wave of Regina's hand made the gun simply disappear in a tiny puff of that same black smoke. "Tsk tsk, Sherriff. Not very sporting of you."

"You wanna kill me? Go ahead. There's a hundred more behind me just waiting for a chance to take you down." Emma had never been more grateful for the nerves of steel she had gained from her years of chasing down criminals.

"And you think that frightens me? I ruled over the Enchanted Forest for years with a target on my back. You forget, _Emma_, your allies may have regained their identities, but so have mine. And magic may have returned, but what use is magic to those too weak to wield it? You may have won battling in your element, but we're back in my element now." Regina thrust her hand towards Emma, palm out, and a force hit her chest like a battering ram, sending Emma flying out the door where she struck the floor of the foyer hard. Regina's door banged shut as Emma struggled to regain her breath for what felt like the hundredth time that day.

Surprised to even find herself alive, Emma left without the slightest hesitation. The idea of running from Regina made her skin crawl, but she had to remind herself that this was not merely a sociopathic politician she was dealing with, but rather a truly evil, wildly powerful and deeply pissed off witch with very little left to lose. Emma knew she was no match for Regina now, not alone, and even the risk of her bruised pride wasn't enough to let her believe otherwise.

* * *

"It's a miracle she didn't kill you," Snow told Emma in a hushed voice, fear and anger warring with relief. They were back at their shared apartment, Henry sleeping in Emma's room and James once again at Snow's side. Emma knew they hadn't been apart since the meeting at Granny's and probably wouldn't be again anytime soon. Emma had feared a tear-filled reunion with James, but he seemed to sense her exhaustion and allowed himself only a brief hug before giving Emma the space she desperately needed. They would have their own reunion soon enough, but for now he was content to sit back and allow Emma room to breathe. Just knowing his daughter was alive and with them again was enough for him. And of course discovering Henry was his grandson was a welcome revelation.

"You weren't kidding about her being powerful. How the hell are we supposed to go up against that? Weapons can't hurt her, she can see anyone coming from miles away…"

"We have to trick her. Trap her somehow," James said. His gaze was distant as her racked his brains for a plan.

"We'll need magic for that and the Blue Fairy said her magic isn't working quite the same after all. Any magic we use will be dangerous and even more unpredictable than Regina." Snow shook her head, feeling frustrated and defeated.

"I thought the Blue Fairy said her magic was back to normal, just like in the Enchanted Forest?" Emma was struggling to make sense of everything around her and she hated feeling so helpless. She may have been born in the Enchanted Forest, but it was not her world. She didn't understand magic and the learning curve was proving treacherously steep.

"She thought it was. But she tried to make Red a new cloak today and it was a disaster. It made Red's transformation start and there isn't even a full moon! She's been experimenting with other spells today and she says they've been sort of hit or miss. It's going to take her time to sort out what works and what doesn't, and that's assuming there's even a pattern."

"Does she have any theories?" James asked.

"We brought magic into a world that isn't equipped to handle it. Magic was predictable in the Enchanted Forest because it had been there for as far back as history could remember. But here…"

"It's like putting a wild animal into a new habitat: it upsets the whole ecosystem. Regina said magic here is unpredictable; I guess that's why." Emma sighed. At least some of the puzzle pieces were falling into place for her. "But if we can't count on the Blue Fairy to help us, what are we supposed to do?"

"If our magic isn't working properly, neither is Regina's. She's all about power and control. If she can't control her magic the way she wants she'll be too afraid to use it, at least for now. It'll buy us some time to think, at least." Snow didn't sound particularly optimistic.

"What about Rumplestiltskin? We're still assuming he brought the magic here, right? Maybe he can help us."

"Oh, Emma. Rumplestiltskin is even worse than Regina. At least her motives are clear. No one knows what _he's_ after, or who's side he's on. He's on whatever side can get him what he wants. We can't trust him. Besides, his magic will be affected just like everyone else's and I doubt he'd risk using it just to help us."

"You know, Regina didn't seem to be having any trouble with her powers. She teleported across the room for cryin' out loud! She made my gun vanish, threw me out the door without even touching me, not to mention she had a mirror in her hand which means she was probably spying on someone. How do we even know it's not just the Blue Fairy, and everyone else is fine?" Snow gave her a pitying look. "I know, I know. Wishful thinking." A thought suddenly occurred to Emma as the earlier events of the day replayed in her mind's eye. "Regina said her allies have regained their identities now, too. Does she really have allies in this town? After what she did?"

"Oh yes," Snow assured her gravely. "The curse was meant as a punishment for some, but just look at Mr. Gold. She made him rich, gave him the whole town, probably in exchange for helping her with the curse. No doubt she made similar deals with other people. And not everyone had happiness in the Enchanted Forest; power is incredibly alluring for those who are alone and desperate. Regina may not inspire loyalty, but making friends isn't the only way to gain allies."

"How do we know who we can trust?" Emma's worry was gnawing at her.

"I've been flipping through Henry's book and that should give us a pretty good idea. For now we'll just have to-"

"I know, be careful. There has to be more we can do than just sit around hoping for inspiration to knock us over the head." That familiar restless urge to move was starting to grow in Emma and the uncertainty of their future and lack of any plans was eating at her. 'Restlessness…' Emma glanced down the hall. "What time is it?"

"After 11. Why?" James followed her gaze down the hall.

"Henry. He always gets up for one last glass of water before he falls asleep and then he calls me on our walkie-talkies." Emma slid off her stool and walked swiftly towards her bedroom door, where Henry was supposed to be fast asleep. Just as she feared, when she opened the door the bed was empty. Emma's felt her heart stop and found herself once again unable to breathe.

**See that blue button down there? You know what to do :D**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**Because I'm a horrible person, and I just love suspense, this chapter is a flashback. This is the moment the Dark Curse was cast, and some of the events that followed. I need to explore some of the nuances of the Dark Curse to make the story flow better, and what better way to do that than flashbacks? Besides, I want this story to feel like a true second season.**

"_Somewhere horrible. Absolutely horrible. A place where the only happy ending…will be mine."_

The smoke enveloped Regina and she felt the immense power take hold of her. She was plunged into suffocating darkness. She could feel herself spinning but she had no idea which way was up anymore. Her head began to pound viciously and suddenly images were flashing before her – faces whipping by too quickly for her to recognize. Her emotions seemed to surge along with the images: anger and hatred would burn inside her, then suddenly vanish for a moment, and then suddenly they exploded so violently she wanted to scream. Snow White's image swam before her, and all Regina wanted to do was rip it out of her mind, claw at the image, tear it to pieces before the hatred could consume her entirely. She opened her mouth to scream and realized her lungs were burning, unable to draw any air. Her brain screamed for oxygen and an end to the dizzying barrage of images. The pounding in her head increased and she pressed her hands tightly to her temples, squeezing her eyes shut, but the images were relentless. Finally it became too much and the darkness swallowed her.

Regina awoke some time later, her head still throbbing, but she could feel cool, solid earth underneath her. She opened her eyes cautiously, fearing what she might see, but she quickly saw that she was in a forest. Trees towered over her, casting impossibly long shadows in the low morning sun. Slowly she sat up, trying to get her bearings. For one horrifying moment she thought she might simply be in the Enchanted Forest, but as she turned to her left she could vaguely make out an old bridge that she didn't recognize. She smiled, knowing that anything unfamiliar to her could not possibly be part of the Enchanted Forest; she knew every inch of it.

Excitement welled up in Regina. This was it, the New World. She had no idea what to expect, knew she would have to learn to fit in here and learn quickly, but she would not let her worries intrude upon her triumph. She got to her feet quickly, regretting the move slightly as her head throbbed painfully. "Ugh," she groaned, rubbing her temples. The pain began to subside, and it quickly lessened to nothing more than a minor irritant.

"What the…" Regina looked down at herself for the first time. She was dressed in a black silk corset, something she recognized, but she also wore a long, simple black coat and dark form-fitting pants of some material she didn't recognize. It was softer to the touch than leather, strong but much more flexible. "Interesting…" she muttered. She ran her fingers through her long black hair, which now hung loosely to her waist. She brushed off the earth that clung to her coat and checked her hair for stray leaves before heading towards the bridge. When she reached it she put her hand on the structure and was surprised to feel cold metal beneath her hand, like the blade of a sword. "It's made of metal?" She marveled at the curious structure. As her gaze roamed the area she noticed a small sign the read 'Toll Bridge'. Someone had added a clumsy 'r' to the sign to make it read 'Troll Bridge'. Regina glanced around nervously, but there was hardly room anywhere for a troll to hide.

Her interest waning, Regina strolled across the bridge and found a well-worn trail. She followed it through the woods, enjoying the heat of the rising sun against her back. After about twenty minutes of walking Regina came to another trail intersecting hers, but this trail was unlike anything she had ever seen. She kneeled down to look closely at what appeared to be stone, though it was impossible. It was as if someone had carved the path out of one long, flat stone, but it stretched on as far as Regina could see, impossibly long. Down the centre was a long yellow stripe. Regina reminded herself that this was a new land, and anomalies would only grow more numerous as she explored. She had to keep moving and gather as much information as possible to allow herself to blend in. That was the key: learn to blend in. There was no magic in this world for her to rely on, so she would need to rely on her wits, and for that she would need a solid understanding of the world around her. Glancing around she saw another sign, this one larger and bright green, with white lettering that read 'Now Leaving Storybrooke'.

It was an odd name, but Regina suspected this was the place she was searching for. Turning her back to the sign, she headed towards Storybrooke, suddenly anxious to find even one other person. She rarely sought out companionship, and she certainly didn't want it now, but the isolation was only increasing her anxiety. She knew enough about the curse to know that she couldn't be alone here, but she had to find out exactly where everyone else had gone and what had happened to them. She followed the strange road, her back to the sign, and eventually she saw a town coming into view in the distance. She approached it cautiously, cursing her nervousness, but knowing she had no magic to rely on left Regina feeling almost unbearably vulnerable. "No one else had magic either," she reminded herself in a whisper.

Finally she reached the edge of the town and looked up to see a curious contraption hanging overhead, a bright red light gleaming from it. As she stared, curious, the light suddenly turned bright green. Regina shook her head, once again reminding herself that she didn't have time to stop and marvel over every curiosity this world had to offer. She looked up at the nearest building where a large sign read 'Mr. Gold Pawnbroker & Antiques Dealer'. She glanced in the window and could see a man with his back to the door, arranging various trinkets on a shelf. Wondering if this was a former resident of the Enchanted Forest or merely a citizen of the new land, Regina pushed open the door and entered the shop.

"Good morning. Can I help you with anything?" Regina could only gape at the man as he turned to face her. She recognized him instantly, but his appearance was so drastically different she hardly dared to believe her eyes. Could this man, looking so ordinary and unassuming – and dressed in such bizarre attire – really be Rumplestiltskin? Regina remembered the sign out front and thought, 'Not anymore'.

"Are you Mr. Gold?" She asked.

"The one and only. Are you looking for anything in particular?"

"So you don't…recognize me?" Regina knew she was taking a risk, but she had to know, and this was as good a test subject as any.

Mr. Gold was clearly puzzled by her question. "I'm sorry, I'm normally quite good with names," 'Yeah I bet you are,' Regina thought, "but I'm afraid I don't know yours. Have we met?"

"It's alright. I'm just here to have a look around." Gold nodded and turned back to his shelf of trinkets. Regina knew she should leave, should be satisfied, but she couldn't resist. "Rumplestiltskin?"

He froze. A tiny shudder seemed to travel down his spine. He turned, blinked rapidly a few times, then lifted his gaze to Regina. A slow smile stretched across his face. "Your Majesty," he said, bowing as much as the counter in front of him would permit.

"Mr. Gold," Regina said, and this time she could feel a strange sensation. It was if a rope were connecting them and she flicked it rapidly, sending a pulse to his end. She saw his expression go lax, his eyes glaze for a moment, and then he blinked and gave Regina a confused look.

"I'm sorry, Dear. I didn't see you come in. Can I help you with anything?"

Regina smiled. "No, just browsing."

"Let me know if anything catches your interest," he said, and turned his back on her once more. Satisfied, Regina left the shop to continue down the road.

As she made her way down the street she passed several tired-looking citizens. Almost every face looked at least vaguely familiar, though no one seemed to recognize Regina. She did seem to attract a great deal of attention, however, and it didn't take long for her to see why; everyone was dressed in plain – if slightly odd looking – clothing, and even Regina's magically modernized clothing was glaringly out of place. She quickly fastened her coat to at least hide the corset, and that seemed to divert most of the attention. 'I'm in a strange land, surrounded by cursed people who have no memories of who they really are, none of whom even recognize me let along see me as their Queen, and my first important task is to find new clothes?' Regina shook her head at the absurdity.

She stopped abruptly, having heard a quite humming nearby. She recognized the song. Turning, she saw a far more familiar face than those parading past all morning: Snow White. Her hair was cropped short, she wore clothes even plainer than those of her fellow townspeople, and she seemed utterly devoid of colour. She smiled at Regina, but her smile quickly withered at the look of pure hatred on Regina's face. She seemed to close in on herself in meek submission, and her eyes filled with a confused sadness. Regina smiled. The curse was working just fine after all.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**Backtracking a little to fill in some gaps. Don't worry, I'm getting to Henry ;) This takes place just after Emma leaves Regina's house.**

Emma slowed her pace, which had been bordering on a run since she left Regina's. Now she relaxed, taking a minute to catch her breath and rub her sore neck. She prodded the area carefully and decided it probably wouldn't bruise, though she was worried about returning to Henry with marks around her throat. She went back to her apartment to grab a scarf, thankful for the chill in the air, before returning to the diner. There she found most of the town waiting just as they had been before she left. When she stepped through the door she could practically feel the tension break, and she could hear the collective sigh of relief.

"Emma!" Henry wrapped his arms around her tightly, echoing everyone's relief. "What happened?"

"Not much. She wasn't really interested in talking. But you're right," she looked at Snow, "she has her magic back. And I think she's been spying on us, or at least trying to; she was holding a mirror when I talked to her."

"Did she say anything?" Snow asked, though she flicked her gaze towards Henry to warn Emma not to reveal too much.

"Should the boy really be here for this?" Jiminy said, his voice surprisingly loud for…well, a cricket.

"I'm not leaving," Henry said emphatically.

"It's alright," Emma assured him. "It doesn't matter. All that matters is she isn't willing to negotiate, which we already knew. We need to come up with a plan, but I think we have some time. She wasn't planning on the curse breaking, and I doubt she was planning for magic to come here, either. She's still reeling from everything, and that should buy us some time. Right now…" she faltered, not sure she had any right to give orders.

"Go home," Snow finished for her. "We've all been through a lot today. Go home. Join your families and friends. You know what your options are, and you know what's at stake. I said I wouldn't blame any of you for leaving Storybrooke, for turning your backs on the Enchanted Forest, and I meant it. You have every right to get as far away from Regina as possible. So go home, make your decision, and those of you who want to stay and help can meet here again tomorrow morning to discuss a strategy."

With that everyone left the diner, most of them travelling in larger-than-normal groups, many of them looking around fearfully as though they expected Regina to suddenly materialize in front of them. 'Apparently that's a pretty legitimate concern,' Emma reminded herself. She saw that black smoke rise up in her mind's eye, felt the hand around her throat, and she suddenly felt just as on edge as everyone else.

Snow seemed to sense her tension. "She needs time to plan her next move just like we do. We'll be safe tonight."

"Yeah, tonight," Emma muttered. She glanced over at Henry, who was sitting on one of the diner tables chatting with James. Granny and Red were behind the counter, their heads together having a whispered conversation. Emma could see a thick hooded poncho lying discarded on the counter. She wondered vaguely about this cloak that Red apparently needed, something to do with her being a werewolf, but her brain felt like it was full of thick mud and she let her curiosity drain away.

"I guess we should all head to your apartment?" James asked, looking at Snow. Emma knew why he was hesitating: he knew Snow wanted him there, but he couldn't be sure Emma did. Emma just nodded and left the diner before anyone could say anything else. Henry hurried to walk beside her, and James and Snow fell into step behind them. They all walked in silence to the apartment.

Once inside Henry tried to insist he wasn't tired, but even as he spoke he couldn't stifle several deep yawns. Emma smiled and took him to her bedroom, tucking him into her bed. She would sleep on the couch so Henry could have his best shot at a good night sleep. She couldn't help worrying how he was handling everything, but he seemed in high spirits and as eager as ever to help. 'Since Operation Cobra was such a roaring success,' Emma thought, smiling again. "I guess you're too old for bedtime stories, huh?" Emma asked, pulling the covers up over the little boy. He seemed so much older than his years; she had to remind herself sometimes that he was still so young.

"Never. But I'm not the one who needs to read them." He pulled the book out of his backpack and handed it to Emma. She sat down on the bed beside him, tracing the lettering with her fingers, but she made no move to open it. Henry sighed and opened it for her, flipping to a particular page. "It's the story of how Snow White met Prince Charming. Go ahead."

So Emma read the story aloud, but she was really reading it more to herself than to Henry. Still, he seemed to enjoy listening to it just as much as she enjoyed reading it. It struck her suddenly that Snow White had always been a part of Mary Margaret, she just hadn't realized it. The kickass bandit of the story had reared more than once in Emma's mild-mannered roommate, and she couldn't help smiling at the memories. She had been worried she would have to get to know her mother all over again, that she might be drastically different with all of her memories restored, but Emma knew now that she was going to enjoy getting acquainted with the woman from this story.

When she finished the story, Henry insisted on saying goodnight to Snow White and Prince Charming. Emma couldn't blame him, but she made him stay in bed and called the two of them into the bedroom instead. Snow went in first, leaving Emma and James alone in the kitchen. "He's an amazing boy," James commented. Emma nodded, feeling uncomfortable. After all, she really couldn't take any credit when it came to Henry. "He's your son, Emma. You still have time. You still get to raise him."

Emma could hear the grief in James's voice, though he hid it well, and she felt her heart ache for him. But it was different for them; she hadn't known David very well, and what she did know of him hadn't impressed her. Still, she knew that like Snow he would undoubtedly be drastically different from his Storybrooke counterpart, and she really did want to get to know him just as much as Snow. But not while she was dealing with an Evil Queen trying to kill her. James smiled suddenly, as though he had read her thoughts, and suddenly he stepped forward and put his arms around Emma. "I'm so proud of you," he said, his voice filled with emotion. When he released her Emma half expected to see tears running down his face, but James's features were carefully neutral once again. He left Emma and went down the hall to join Snow in Henry's room.

* * *

"_It's a miracle she didn't kill you."_

Emma had recounted every second of her conversation with Regina and Henry – listening intently at the door – wasn't surprised by any of it. Except maybe that Regina hadn't killed Emma. He was worried for his family, but he couldn't help feeling conflicted. He had known for months now that his mother was the Evil Queen. It had been a difficult revelation, but it made sense – or rather, it at least explained a lot. What had been truly difficult was the realization that his mother was a murderer. He had resisted the idea at first, but how could he accept the book as true if he couldn't accept all of it? The idea that she had killed her own father had terrified Henry. He couldn't sleep for weeks after reading that, and his demeanor towards Regina had turned from distant and unresponsive to downright hostile.

Still, after everything that had happened, after everything she had done and even her continued threats, Henry couldn't let them just kill her. They hadn't read the book. Snow White might know some of the story, but she didn't know all of it, and what's worse she probably didn't care. He had to do something before the town decided to take revenge. And he couldn't stand by and watch Emma become a murderer too.

He packed his bag quickly, stuffing his book, a flashlight, a rope, and several candy bars inside, but didn't zip it up for fear of making too much noise. He dressed carefully and quietly, wincing whenever something creaked of rustled a little too loud. Finally he slipped on his jacket and eased the window open. The process was agonizingly slow, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he lowered his bag to the ground and followed it out the window. Not waiting to see if anyone had heard him, he slipped the straps of his bag onto his shoulders and took off as fast as he could. He ducked under windows and darted from one shadowed corner to the next, doing his best to remain hidden just in case anyone happened to be looking outside. His heart was pounding from exertion and apprehension, and fear was starting to settle in his stomach, but he pushed it aside as he hurried towards the house he had grown up in.

**Okay, calling all lurkers: I need a little help. I want to address Emma's tattoo at some point in the story, since it wasn't resolved in season 1 and it's been bugging me. I'm having trouble coming up with any really great ideas, though, so here's your chance to contribute to the story. If you have any cool ideas or suggestions, post them in a review or private message me and I'll be sure to give you a writing credit if I incorporate your idea into the story. TY :)**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

**I know I'm not being particularly consistent with the layout of Regina's house, but I'm posting each chapter as it's written instead of working ahead (which I probably should do, lol), so please excuse any glaring inconsistencies. It's a pretty minor detail anyway, lol, and the show itself isn't perfect either (the windows in Henry's room don't match up between episode 1 and 2). If it bugs you just pretend Regina has two offices, one on each floor (which is entirely possible), and everything should work. Anyway, enjoy and thanks so much for all the great reviews! :)**

As the monstrous house loomed into view Henry quickly slipped off his backpack and crouched down. He found the old, familiar gap in the hedges and shoved his backpack through, then crawled after it. On the other side he looked up at the side of the house, where several windows were visible, including that of his own bedroom. There were no lights on that he could see, so he slipped his bag back on his shoulders and crept around to the backyard. He was surprised to see the apple tree looming in the darkness, clearly dying. He felt his heart constrict.

He remembered being told dozens of times not to climb that tree; he remembered how meticulous Regina always was in caring for that tree; and he remembered the dozens of times Regina turned her back while he snuck up into its branches. In his earliest years Henry used to think of himself as stealthy and clever for sneaking into the tree without Regina even noticing, but when he was 9 he remembered looking up and seeing Regina watching him from her office window. He had climbed down, fearing the punishment that would follow, but none ever came. Regina continued to pretend she hadn't seen anything and Henry continued to sneak into the tree, happy to pretend he was being clever and equally happy knowing that his mom didn't have the heart to scold him for doing something he loved so much. It was the only thing she ever let him get away with.

Once again there were no lights visible in any of the windows. Henry looked up at the window he knew to be Regina's office and wondered if maybe she had gone to bed. He checked his watch and decided it was possible, so he hurried across the backyard. As he rounded the corner of the house he could see a light and he knew it was coming from Regina's bedroom. He watched for a few minutes, trying to decide his next move, and eventually the light went out. Henry peeked around the corner, anxiety making his breaths quick and shallow, and after a few moments he saw the light in Regina's office go on.

Henry felt the conflict rising in him again. He knew he wanted to protect his family, not to mention all of the newly awakened fairytale characters, but standing there watching one of his favourite childhood memories wither away seemed to sap all of his determination. For several minutes Henry just stood at the corner of the house, staring up at the single bright window, unable to move in any direction or even form any coherent thoughts. Finally his feet began to move and the rest of him simply followed along. In seconds he was standing under the tree, looking up at the remnants of its delicious fruit as it rotted away. He dropped his bag on the lawn and grabbed the single low-hanging branch, the one he had once been delighted to discover he could finally reach without a step-stool. Pressing his foot firmly against the trunk he hauled himself onto the sturdy branch. From there he followed the familiar path upwards until he was sitting in his favourite spot, where in the daylight he could peer through the leaves and feel as though he were seeing the whole world stretch out before him, and yet still remain hidden from anyone passing by. Now the leaves hung limp and large gaps would have made him quite visible if it weren't for the darkness.

"That tree isn't safe anymore." Henry had been attempting to shift his weight to climb a little higher, but the voice startled him and he lost his balance, tumbling backwards. His hands reached up frantically but found nothing but air. Adrenaline surged as he realized he was falling, but before his fear could really set in he felt as though a giant hand were closing around him and it lowered him slowly to the ground, placing him gently on his feet. Shaken but unharmed, Henry looked around and saw Regina standing a few feet away. Her face was shrouded by darkness and her features were impossible to discern. "What are you doing here?" she asked, sounding utterly bewildered.

"You don't want me here?" He asked, feeling his mouth go dry.

There was a long silence. Henry strained to see her face more clearly, but the darkness made it impossible. Finally she said, in an oddly flat tone, "Go home, Henry."

"You tried to kill Emma," he accused, suddenly finding his courage again.

"The apple was poisoned with a sleeping curse," Regina said slowly, her voice barely above a whisper.

"What about Graham? And _Henry_? You named me after someone you murdered!"

"He was a coward," Regina hissed, her voice surging with disdain.

"Then why name me after him?" Henry asked, taken aback and suddenly wanting desperately to know the answer.

There was another long pause. Henry thought for a moment that she wasn't going to answer, and then he heard Regina release a heavy breath. Her voice was a breathy whisper and it shook slightly as she said, "He…he tried."

Confused, Henry opened his mouth to say more but suddenly Regina vanished. Surprised, Henry looked up just as the light in the office window flicked off.

* * *

"Henry!" Emma called, seeing Henry walking towards her, his head hung and his shoulders slumped. She raced towards him and swept him into her arms, relief washing over her in such a powerful tide that she had to struggle to keep from sobbing.

"I'm sorry," he said, putting his arms around her neck. He was exhausted.

Emma set him down and took a moment to look him over, reassuring herself that he was alright. When she was satisfied she took his backpack and slung it over her shoulder. She put her hand around Henry's shoulder and together they walked back towards the apartment. "We'll talk about this tomorrow," Emma said. Everyone was exhausted, herself included, and she decided there was no point lecturing Henry when he was half asleep. Once they were back inside – to Snow and James's immense relief – Emma quickly tucked Henry into bed again. She intended to stay with him just a few minutes, but when she heard his breath become the deep, even breathing of sleep she couldn't bring herself to leave. Instead she stretched out on the floor and was asleep almost instantly.

**Hmmm...there appears to be a bit of a gap between Henry's confrontation with Regina and his reunion with Emma. Wonder what happened there...? Well, you'll just have to wait and see ^.^ Feel free to click that little blue button and tell me your guesses! As always, thanks for the reviews, you guys are awesome :)**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

**Continuation of Chapter 4**

Regina continued her exploration of Storybrooke, but it did little to answer any of her questions. Rumplestiltskin had assured her that there was no magic in this land, that the curse would provide everything she needed, but Regina quickly discovered that she could make buildings appear or vanish at will, as well as manipulate the memories of those around her. She discovered this thoroughly amusing trick while having a conversation with the former Snow White.

"Good morning," she said timidly.

"Mary Margaret Blanchard." Regina said the name slowly. Apparently as the caster of the curse she was privy to the former and current identities of all of Storybrooke's residents. Useful, but Regina cursed Rumple and the imperfections of his curse. How could she have total control over this town and these people if she didn't understand anything about this world? How could they be given identities as citizens of the new world, able to understand and function perfectly within it, while she was left on the outside struggling to adapt?

"I-I'm sorry, have we met?" Mary Margaret stammered.

"Perhaps…" Regina once again felt the connection like a rope tied to each of them, and she sent a tiny pulse to Mary.

"Regina! I'm so sorry, I didn't recognize you. It's been so long!" She threw her arms around Regina, who recoiled. She quickly shoved Mary away and in her haste sent out a pulse much stronger than she intended. Mary Margaret yelped and sank to the ground, arms over her head. "Please, please don't hurt me. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…Oh God, please don't hurt me." She began to sob and Regina couldn't help smiling slightly.

"Get up, girl." Mary obeyed instantly, still cowering slightly and shaking rather badly.

Regina had experimented, implanting various memories to explore their impact on Mary Margaret. Once she was satisfied by the level of control the curse allowed her, she erased all of Mary's memories of Regina and continued on through the town. Near the end of the block she found a large white house, much larger than any she had seen before. Intrigued, she stepped through the front gate and up the walkway. Unconcerned by who it might belong to, Regina pushed open the door without knocking and stepped inside. As soon as she stepped over the threshold she had an overwhelming sensation that this was her home, and sure enough as she ventured further into the house she finally looked out a back window and saw her apple tree. But settling into her new home was hardly a top priority, so Regina did a quick sweep of the house to gain her bearings before setting off again. This time she had a specific destination in mind.

"Rumplestiltskin," Regina called out, stepping through the door of the pawn shop for the second time.

"I hope you don't plan on making a habit of this, Dearie. It's quite disorienting."

"You told me this land didn't have magic," she hissed, crossing the shop in only a few long strides.

"And? Conjured anything up lately?"

"Entire buildings! I can manipulate memories, restore memories of the Enchanted forest, change the entire landscape if I choose. Not to mention those bizarre metal carriages that run without horses or those lights outside that burn without fire."

"Well first of all, _your majesty_, those carriages – called cars – and those lights are not magic. This world has come much farther than ours in their manipulation of resources precisely _because_ they have no magic to rely on. Secondly, as the caster of the Dark Curse you are connected to everyone it affects. You can manipulate them however you like, though I should warn you that repeated tampering with anyone's memories will have consequences on their already fragile minds."

"And the town itself? The buildings?"

"Yes, well, there's a catch to that, too. The curse is designed to take your desires and merge them with the nuances of this world to create the false identities as well as create the town, but it's up to you to iron out the imperfections. You can rearrange the landscape of the town however you like, without consequence, for one year. After that each alteration will weaken the curse. Too much tampering and the true identities of our friends will start to bleed through their false memories."

Regina let out a deep breath. "And altering memories…that won't weaken the curse, but it could damage the mind being manipulated." She could feel herself approaching the edge. Rumplestiltskin was being uncharacteristically free with this information, but Regina knew him all too well to expect it to continue. He wanted something from her, and she could feel herself barrelling towards it.

"Correct. One other thing: several of our little friends have transitioned to a human form. For 1 year you will have the ability to reverse the transformation and return them to an inhuman form. But be careful, Dearie: many creatures from our land don't exist here and exposure to them will prevent the curse's false memories from taking hold." There was a long pause as Regina considered the implications of this. "You'll want to tuck her away somewhere safe," Rumple said, knowing perfectly well what Regina was wondering.

"Don't sound so impressed with yourself. There's still the matter of your curse assimilating everyone to this world except me. How am I supposed to have any authority in a world I know nothing about?"

"I suggest starting with a change of wardrobe," Rumple said with a wide grin. He reached out for a strand of Regina's hair but she slapped his hand away. He made a 'tsk tsk' sound and gave a mock frown. "You need a haircut, Dearie."

"I'm not a schoolboy," Regina said angrily.

"You want to blend in? Well extravagance isn't the norm here. New clothes and a new haircut will go a long way to helping you find a place in this land."

"Looking like I belong isn't going to solve my problem. But I'm sure your enjoying that." Ah, here it comes, she thought.

"I offered you a solution and you rejected it," Rumple said, motioning Regina aside to rearrange the display behind her.

Regina looked at him, stunned. "You mean…erase my memories? Then what's the point of even being here?"

"You can choose your own memories, you own identity. You can become anything you want, and then start over. I would have expected that to appeal to you."

"Well you thought wrong. And of course you didn't warn me about any of this because you knew this would happen. Now I either have to give up my memories or find some way to live in a world I know nothing about."

"Or I could teach you what you need to know," Rumple offered, all mock sincerity.

Regina scoffed, understanding finally dawning. "I bet you'd love that."

"Don't flatter yourself."

"It has nothing to do with me. Any chance to have power over someone. Anything for a deal." Regina's voice filled with disgust. "Haven't I given you enough power in this town?"

"You insult me. I've just given you a great deal of invaluable knowledge, free of charge."

"Knowledge you should have given me when you gave me the Dark Curse in the first place!"

"Don't blame me for you rash actions, Your Majesty," Rumple said, his voice still light and conversational. A slow smile spread over his lips.

"Bastard. This is exactly what you wanted to happen. Bring me here knowing full well I'd need your help. Well forget it, I'll figure it out without you. You'd do well not to underestimate me again, _Mr. Gold_." Regina watched as Rumple's eyes glazed, his memories of Rumplestiltskin disappearing. She left the shop before he could say anything to her.

* * *

"Good afternoon. Do you have an appointment?"

"Yes, under Reya Molino. I'm a little early."

The girl scanned the schedule on the desk. "Yup, here it is, 2:15. I can take you now. It's a cut and style, right?" She took in the woman's long dark tresses with a smile. "You sure you're ready to part with it? Looks like you've been growing it out for quite a while."

Reya smiled. "I'm sure. Time for a change."

"Great. Have a seat."

Reya left the hairdresser almost two hours later, running her fingers repeatedly through her now shoulder length hair. She slid into her new Mercedes, a car she absolutely adored, and took the long way home to enjoy the forest scenery. Back in her driveway, Reya gathered up her mound of shopping bags and congratulated herself for making it to the porch before dropping any of them. She set several of them down and fumbled with her keys before finally sliding them in the lock and pushing open the door. She tossed her bags inside and looked down at them with a heavy sigh, not particularly eager to put away all of the new clothing. Instead she pulled the front door closed and headed into the kitchen for a drink.

Approaching the fridge Reya noticed an envelope taped to it at eyes level. Written on the envelope were the words 'Read – Important'. She struggled to remember what could possibly be in the envelope but came up blank. Curious and a little unnerved by the sudden appearance, she peeled the envelope off the fridge and carefully opened it. Inside was a single piece of folded paper. She set the envelope down and unfolded the paper, which had only five words written in familiar, elegant handwriting: Your Majesty, Queen Regina Mills.

**In case anyone's wondering, Reya is a Spanish name meaning Queen, and Molino is also Spanish for mill. A nod to Lana Parrilla's Puerto Rican roots :)**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

**Thanks again guys for all your amazing reviews ^-^ Time for a little of Regina's POV**

Regina crossed her office and quickly flicked off the light. Shaken, cursing the tears that threatened to overwhelming her, she hurried into her bedroom. She collapsed onto her bed, fully dressed, her head spinning. Magic was surging through her again – she had felt it the moment the cloud touched her – but it felt different somehow. Where it had once felt like a beloved pet, pacing inside her until she unleashed it to do her bidding, like an extension of her own hand, it now felt like a beast curled tightly, ready to strike at the slightest provocation. Keeping her power under control had never been a problem in the Enchanted Forest, though learning to command it swiftly and accurately had been difficult at first. Now, however, she felt as though she were some sort of cage and the beast inside her was thrashing viciously to break free. If she could just stay calm, supress the magic, she could feel it settle like a snow globe abandoned on a shelf. She had gone too far with Emma, unaccustomed to the overwhelming force of the new magic. It had throbbed painfully in her veins for several hours after Emma's departure, and Regina remained in her office for most of the day, struggling to remain calm enough to settle the beast.

And then she had seen him. It was dark, but the light from her office illuminated the yard just enough to let her see the small, dark form approaching her beloved tree. It had been so shocking, so unexpected, that Regina almost didn't trust what she was seeing. Maybe it was one of those accursed dwarves, sneaking onto her property to destroy one more thing she cared for. Well you're too late, she thought, nature is taking care of that quite nicely on her own. But then she saw the backpack, and watched the tiny figure swiftly disappear into the tree, and she knew her first instinct had been right. That familiar fear gripped her, that nagging worry that he would fall and break his neck, but this time she allowed herself to give into it. This time the wood was rotting and there was no telling what pressure might snap those once sturdy branches. Prodding the magic awake, she let it slip just a little and suddenly she was standing under the tree. "That tree isn't safe anymore," she called up, her usual authority infusing her words.

She realized her mistake even as the words were leaving her lips. Henry hadn't seen her approach, hadn't expected her to even see him. No doubt he hadn't really expected to face her at all. The suddenness of her appearance, of her voice in the darkness, startled him as he climbed and he lost his footing. She reacted instinctively, holding out her hand and feeling the magic spread outwards, wrapping gently around the boy as he began to fall. She felt the weight of him as though he were really in her arms, and it made her heart ache unbearably.

As his feet touched the ground his features came into view in the dim light still spreading out from the window. Regina carefully positioned herself in the darkness. Even facing Henry she would not show her weakness, not now. She wanted desperately to feel him in her arms, to hug him close to her and breathe in the scent of his hair as she had done so many times before. Before he learned who she really was. Before he learned to truly hate her. It was out of the question now; he was no longer hers and never would be again. She knew that now, though she would not let him see the pain it caused her. But she could not hide the incredulity at finding him here, of all places, climbing a tree in the nearly pitch black yard. "What are you doing here?"

"You don't want me here?" It was as though he had taken hold of the vise grip and squeezed. Tears stung her eyes, but she fought to retain her composure. Struggling to quell the rise of emotion, she managed to push it aside far enough to say, in an almost apathetic tone, "Go home, Henry."

She wanted more than anything for him to stay, to come inside with her and let her tuck him into bed as she had done thousands of times since his arrival. But that felt like centuries ago, and Regina reminded herself that Henry was not here for a bedtime story or a lullaby. He was here on behalf of his newfound family, to help them in their assault on the Evil Witch.

'He loves that tree. He's here for himself, not for Emma or Snow or any of them,' a tiny voice tried to convince her. Regina silenced it, refusing to allow herself any such belief.

"You tried to kill Emma." The accusation hit Regina like a physical blow, but she was so numbed by the past few minutes that it merely glanced off her. After all, it was really the least of her crimes.

"The apple was poisoned with a sleeping curse," she muttered, as if that were some excuse. As if that were any justification. But what did it matter? Even if she could somehow convince Henry that her actions against Emma were justified, what of her other crimes? How could she ever make him see, make him understand? He would not forgive her. Not now that he knew the truth.

"What about Graham? And _Henry_?" She was startled to hear him mention his namesake. But of course he knew about Henry, thanks to that damn book. Why hadn't she read it when she had the chance? "You named me after someone you murdered!"

'Well that's not exactly what I had in mind when I chose it,' she thought, but instead she said, "He was a coward." She couldn't help the anger that swelled in her as she spoke.

"Then why name me after him?" Regina had expected the anger that came from mentioning her father. What she hadn't expected was the sudden rush of emotion that accompanied Henry's question. Images of her father swam before her. She remembered the kindness of his eyes, the way they lit up when he smiled at Regina. She remembered watching him cringe in the presence of Cora, and how she had pitied him. Even as a child she had been disgusted by his cowardice, and yet she had reveled in the feel of his strong arms wrapped around her, his rough hands wiping away her tears after another confrontation with her mother. He had failed to protect her, failed to save her from Cora's wrath, but… "He…he tried."

It was too much. She felt her control slipping, felt the magic swell, threatening to overwhelm her. She unleashed it one last time, leaving Henry alone in the yard again.

Now she lay on her bed, taking slow, deep breaths, struggling to cage the beast once again. Fear was nagging at her and she clenched her teeth, furious at her weakness. It had been a long time – 28 years to be exact – since she had wielded magic, but her weakness was beyond comprehension. Even as a young girl, trying to harness her power for the first time, the difficulty had been letting the magic _out_, not holding it in. 'Magic here is…unpredictable.' Her own words rang in her ears, and she cursed loudly. How could she be so blind? So rash?

'That's why he chose you,' she chided herself. 'He knew you would rush blindly into the world, consequences be damned, and now look what's happened. Happy ending my ass.' Fury burned, hot and thick in her veins, hatred digging its black claws even further into her dark heart. "Rumplestiltskin," she growled. She sat up, blood pounding with fury, head spinning with blinding rage. The fucking imp was responsible for everything. He'd known from the start what would happen if Emma arrived, known from the start what would happen if Henry came to Storybrooke, known from the start that she had adopted a child who would only grow to hate her. And he'd known, from the moment they met, that Regina would be the perfect caster for his sinister creation. She was young, desperate, blinded by that desperation, her over-confidence yet another vulnerability for him to exploit.

Well she wasn't blind anymore. She knew exactly who was responsible for every unhappiness she had suffered. Magic leapt out of her in every direction, shattering her mirror, cracking the wood of her headboard, fracturing the panes of her window. Regina looked around at the chaos and smiled. She knew who was responsible, and now she would make him pay.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Henry awoke late the next morning and it took him several minutes to remember the events of the previous night. It came back slowly in a sleep-fogged haze. What he remembered most clearly was the worry in Emma's eyes as she examined him for injuries, and he felt deeply guilty. He also couldn't help being scared. It occurred to Henry, as he lay in his bed delaying the inevitable lecture, that he had no idea just how strict a parent Emma would be. Then it occurred to him that she probably didn't know, either. It was hard to believe she'd be as strict as Regina, but Henry reminded himself that Regina had always been fair, no matter how much he hated to admit it. In her inexperience was Emma more inclined to leniency or would she put her foot down too hard? Finally Henry could no longer ignore the call of nature and he was forced to crawl out of bed.

When Henry crept quietly into the kitchen, having taken his time in the washroom knowing he was only staving off the inevitable, Emma was sitting alone at the tiny kitchen table. She had a coffee mug in front of her but it was empty. Her eyes were slightly glazed and unfocused, but a slight creak of the floorboards instantly snapped her out of her reverie. "Morning," Henry said, his eyes downcast.

"Do you want some breakfast? I haven't been shopping in a while but we still have some cereal in the cupboard." Henry just nodded and Emma rose from her seat to fix him breakfast. He climbed onto a chair, the heavy worry in his stomach curbing his appetite. When Emma set the bowl down in front of him he could only stare at it. "Do you not like that kind?"

Henry looked up at Emma, her eyes even more full of anxiety than his own. He felt sorry for her. Did she really think she still needed to win his affection? Was she afraid to discipline him because he might run away again, or because she didn't trust herself to do it properly? He wanted to help her somehow, but what could he do? He did the only thing he could do. He said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you worry about me."

She let out a heavy sigh. "Henry…I know you want to help. I get it. But the last thing any of us need right now is to be worrying about you any more than we already are. Do you know how scared we were? You could have been seriously hurt!"

"I'm sorry," Henry mumbled, prodding the cereal with his spoon.

"Do you realize how much danger you were in? What could have happened if Regina found you before I did?" Henry looked up at her then, surprised. But of course Emma didn't know he had been to Regina's house; he had been on his way back to the apartment when she found him.

Henry opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn't make enough sense of his jumbled thoughts to say anything. Should he tell Emma about his conversation with Regina? Would she be relieved to learn that Regina wouldn't hurt him or furious with him for confronting her? Probably both. But then, should he lie? What would he say if Emma asked him why he left, where he was going? He didn't want to outright lie, but he decided he couldn't tell Emma the truth. Finally he settled his gaze back on his cereal and said, "I'm really sorry. I promise I won't do it again."

"Where were you even going? What were you trying to do?"

Henry felt icy dread in the pit of his stomach. His mind raced to think of some excuse, some plausible explanation, but it faltered. He'd almost forgotten: Emma knew when he was lying. Finally he decided he would have to risk the truth – just not all of it. "I went back home. I…thought maybe I could sneak in."

"Henry!" He cringed. Emma sighed, taking a minute to calm herself before she asked, "Why?"

Henry looked up at her. As he spoke he felt relief wash over him that at least this was the truth, and there was a surprising fierceness in his words as he said, "I wanted my Swan light."

Emma knew perfectly well what he was referring to. It was a light that could either project a rotating image of swans onto the walls of a room, or else be covered by a box of thin material to create a nightlight. She had bought it for Henry before he was born – before she went to jail – so he would always have something of her, even if he wasn't aware of the connection. To hear that not only did he still have it – she had feared it would be lost in the adoption process or else discarded by the adoptive parents – but that he was willing to risk his own safety to retrieve it nearly brought tears to her eyes. Emma gave a weak smile, choking back her emotion, and put her hand on Henry's. "If I ever get the chance, I promise I'll get it back for you. But maybe you don't need it anymore." She squeezed his small hand.

Henry nodded and finally began to eat his breakfast, but as he ate his guilt only increased. It gnawed at him incessantly, until he finally pushed his half-eaten cereal away, his appetite lost. Of course he knew where the light came from. He'd known instantly that Emma must have given it to him once he learned her name. After all, Regina would never knowingly give him anything that might connect him to his birth mother, and the light was too unique to be merely coincidental. In fact he found it strange that Regina even let him keep the light when she adopted him, until he remembered her telling him that the light had come from the social worker who handled the adoption; Regina probably didn't know its true origins, and she was so familiar with the fixture that she never made the connection after Emma's arrival. Knowing and understanding all of this, Henry knew exactly what conclusion Emma would draw: that he cherished the light as a reminder of his birth mother. And that lie, even if he hadn't spoken it aloud, made him feel sick.

* * *

"Quiet! QUIET!" Snow shouted to be heard over the anxious crowd. Emma pushed her way into the packed diner with her hand firmly clutching Henry's. She was late for the meeting but it was pretty easy to guess that things weren't going well.

"I say we give that witch the burning she deserves!" Granny shouted, and many in the crowd cheered in agreement. Several others began yelling in protest, but Emma was shocked to realize that the majority of Storybrooke seemed intent on executing Regina. Emma felt immense relief and gratitude when Jiminy offered to take Henry outside, but Henry was having none of it. It made her stomach churn.

"A public lynching will not return what was stolen from us!" James called, his voice just barely carrying over the crowd.

"She took everything from us; she deserves to pay!" Grumpy yelled fiercely, and the crowd cheered again.

Emma looked around. Snow, James, Jiminy, Red, the Blue Fairy, and a few people she didn't recognize seemed to be against Regina's execution. Everyone else was apparently already planning the best way to build a stake to burn the Evil Queen. Emma stepped forward suddenly and brought herself face to face with Granny, drawing herself up to her full height. Granny was forced to look up, but that didn't stop her from glaring fiercely. The yelling fell to a hush; most in the crowd were torn between their respected – and very vocal – elder, and their young – but perhaps even more respected – saviour. Emma didn't want to embrace this role. She may have broken the curse, but Snow and James were the real leaders of the town. But with Henry at her side listening to a crowd full of his beloved fairytale characters vying for a chance to kill his mother, the choice was effectively removed from Emma's hands. She would not let her son witness such a grim end to the woman who raised him, not matter how much Regina deserved it. "You want to join Regina?" Emma said in a low, menacing tone. It was quiet, but her voice carried clearly to everyone and even the hush was silenced.

"Are you threatening me?" Granny sounded shocked and furious. She also sounded as though she were dangerous close to hitting Emma.

"I'm asking you a question. Do you want to join Regina? Because in my books, anyone who kills Regina for revenge is just as evil as she is. And that would make them my enemy."

Granny continued to glare at Emma, but she could see the fire leaving the old woman's eyes. Across form them Snow was looking immensely relived. Several people exchanged stunned looks, but no one spoke for a long time. Finally Emma broke the stand-off to look at Snow. Shaking off her own shock, she smiled at Emma, bursting with pride. Now that everyone was at least quiet, Snow once again addressed the crowd. "We must stand together if we're going to defeat Regina. Emma's right: we can't just kill her. She deserves to be locked up, her freedom stolen, just as she stole ours." This penetrated the silence and a low murmur of assent broke out. "Some of you have said that trapping Regina won't be easy, and you're right. But you're wrong if you think killing her will be any easier. Our only hope is to unite and work _together_. Until we all come together…" but the rest of Snow's words were cut off by a loud explosion. Several people inside the diner screamed.

Emma shoved her way through the crowd to one of the large front windows. Looking up and down the street she tried to make out where the noise had come from but she couldn't see anything. "What was that?" Henry whispered beside her.

"Dunno." Another explosion sounded, this one much closer, and this time Emma saw a cloud of debris fly into the air in the distance. She turned around and her eyes fell on the Blue Fairy. "Can you find out what's happening?"

The Blue Fairy nodded, but before she could leave there was another explosion and several of the diner's windows shattered. Several people ducked, some hit the ground, and others tried to flee. The ensuing chaos ended up being more dangerous than the explosion, and Snow, Jiminy and the Blue Fairy tried desperately to calm everyone while Emma and James both dove to protect Henry from the onslaught.

"We need to stay calm!" James shouted, but the sound of several more explosions and continued screaming drowned out his words. The panic had set in now and Emma knew there was no stopping the stampede. So she might have been grateful – were it not for the icy dread the filled her – when an impossibly loud voice sliced through the hysteria with a single word: "RUMPLESTILTSKIN!"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"She wants Rumplestiltskin?" James said to Emma.

"He created the curse. If she wants revenge, he's definitely the person to go after. We need to get Henry somewhere safe." Henry started to protest but Emma silenced him with a sharp look. "Everyone needs to get to safety."

"I doubt anywhere is safe right now. We should keep Henry with us. We can protect him." James's hand instinctively reached for the hilt of his sword, but it wasn't at his side. He didn't have a sheath for it and he hadn't wanted to take an unsheathed sword to a diner full of people.

"We should get everyone out of Storybrooke. At least for now. We can take them out the back and…"

"Emma," James interrupted, "we can't."

"It's alright; we just need to keep Regina distracted until everyone is out. If they go together…"

"No, Emma, you don't understand. They can't leave Storybrooke."

Emma stared at James, stunned. Henry mirrored her expression. "But…the Blue Fairy…"

"Whatever barrier was surrounding Storybrooke is gone, and magic is definitely limited to within its borders. But a few families tried to leave last night, like Snow suggested, and…" He looked down at Henry, not wanting to continue.

"Something bad happened," Henry said quietly.

James nodded, his eyes filled with concern. "Two of them died. A father and his son. Everyone else was terrified; they came back here and told Jiminy everything. Apparently they were fine when they first left, but after a couple miles they started feeling strange. Their bodies ached and they're heads were throbbing. They stopped, wondering what was happening, and one of the young children got impatient and ran off. He didn't get very far, and suddenly he just collapsed. His father went to check on him, and he collapsed, too."

"But what happened to them?" Emma asked, horrified.

"Jiminy went out with the Blue Fairy to investigate. They think it's Regina. We're all connected to her somehow, and we can't break that connection. That's why the barrier existed – to keep us from wandering too far from Regina and dying. It could be that Regina isn't completely aware of the connection, since no one has ever made it that far out of Storybrooke before, but if she does find out she could use it to reel us in like fish on a hook."

"So all the bad stuff that happens when people try to leave…that's just a barrier to keep them from getting killed when they go too far?" Henry couldn't help his curiosity.

"Apparently," James said.

"Henry, how did you even know about the barrier? Or any of the rules of the curse, for that matter?" Emma asked.

"There's a story in the book about Rumplestiltskin offering the Dark Curse to the Evil Queen, and another one about the Evil Queen trading it to Maleficent. It explains all sorts of things about the curse." Henry felt his stomach tighten.

"I need to read that book," Emma told him. Henry nodded slowly.

"There's no time for that right now." As if to emphasize his point, another explosion sounded. People in the diner seemed to be recovering from their shock and were talking fervently. Snow seemed to have regained some control over the crowd and Emma could hear her discussing ideas with Granny and Jiminy.

"No, you're right. What we need now is to find Rumplestiltskin."

"No need." Emma jumped, nearly falling on top of Henry, the voice having startled her. A gasp travelled through the diner as one by one people turned to see Rumplestiltskin standing in their midst, looking down at Emma with a cheerful grin. He was still dressed in Gold's typical business suit, but as Emma looked up into the semi-familiar face it dawned on her that she had made a grave mistake. This man was not human. This man was even more powerful than Emma had suspected. And this was not the kind of man to whom _anyone_ should owe a favour. She looked up into his impossibly large, swamp-coloured eyes and couldn't supress a shudder.

James was on his feet almost instantly, putting himself between Rumple and the rest of the diner. Rumple giggled. "Hello, Dearie. Still as charming and foolish as ever, I see. But I'm not interested in speaking with you today. I have more pressing business."

"Yeah, with her." James jerked his head in the direction of the last explosion.

Rumple giggled again. "Oh no, not her. _Her_." He pointed at Emma, who was now on her feet. Henry was safely hidden behind Snow, who was flanked by the dwarves on one side and Granny and Red on the other.

"I'm not interested," Emma deadpanned.

"Oh, how soon we forget." Rumple flicked a hand carelessly and James was knocked aside. Rumple kept his eyes locked on Emma as he stepped towards her, bringing their faces unbearably close. "You don't have a choice."

Emma felt her pulse quicken and she struggled to keep her fear at bay. She didn't want to give Rumplestiltskin the satisfaction of knowing that he scared her. As Mr. Gold he might have been powerful, but now Emma – thanks to Regina – recognized fully just how out of her element she was. Even without magic Rumple had the upper hand, but _with_ magic he had the power to enforce the deal they'd made. One favour. Maybe that hadn't intimidated Emma when the deal was struck, but now she understood the full implications of what she had done. Nothing was off limits anymore. There was nothing Rumple couldn't force Emma to do – not when the consequences of breaking their deal involved magic. "What do you want?" Emma asked, unable to make her voice any more than a whisper. It didn't matter; her voice could be heard loud and clear in the absolute silence of the room.

Rumple smiled, his eyes filling with glee. He leaned in even closer so he could whisper in Emma's ear, intending his words solely for her. "I want you to kill her."

Fear washed over Emma. She felt sick to her stomach. "I can't," she whispered.

"Are you breaking our deal?" Rumple asked, his voice taking on a more menacing tone despite the glee that never left his eyes. Emma glanced around and realized that everyone around her was perfectly still. She looked more closely at James, who was closest to her, and saw that he was frozen. "Don't worry about them, Dearie. It's just the two of us now."

Emma met his gaze and she knew he saw the fear in them. She didn't care anymore. "Anything. I'll do anything else. But if I go up against Regina…she'll kill me."

"Very well." Rumple tilted his head to the side and peered very theatrically behind Emma. He pointed to where Henry was peeking out from behind Snow. "Kill _him_, then." Emma could only stammer, tears threatening to fall. "It's her or him. Your choice."

Emma took a deep breath, pulling herself together as best she could. She managed to blink back her tears. "Tell me how to kill her."

"Oh, well, that's not part of the deal now is it?" Rumple vanished and Emma heard another collective gasp as everyone around her unfroze, only to see Rumple gone.

"What happened? What did he say to you?" James demanded, recovering quickly from the broken spell.

Emma turned to face Snow. Henry stepped out from behind her and looked up at Emma. She took a few steps forward and crouched down in front of him. "I have to go take care of something. Promise me you won't go off by yourself _no matter what_."

"Emma, don't listen to him. You can't do what he wants. You can't trust him!"

"Henry, promise me!" She said, her tone filling with such authority that Henry was shocked. He nodded. She brushed a strand of hair out of his face with a weak smile. "I'll be back soon. Don't worry." She hugged him tightly. It was difficult to release him.

"Henry, let's go get you something to eat," Red said, holding her hand out to him. He seemed on the verge of declining the offer, but Snow gave him a slight push and he reluctantly followed Red into the kitchen.

Emma stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Snow before she could attempt to talk Emma out of anything. "Take good care of him," she whispered in Snow's ear. She heard Snow's breathing catch in a sob, but she supressed it. Without meeting her gaze Emma released her grip and turned to leave the diner. She paused for a moment as James rested a hand on her shoulder. She tried to give him a reassuring smile but it faltered. He stared at her for a moment, fear and concern quickly washed away by grim determination. He nodded once, slowly, and Emma felt a little of her courage return. She gave her own nod before stepping out into the street.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

**Takes place after Chapter 7**

"I know this is your happy ending, but really dear, _this_ is how you choose to spend your day? We had water in the Enchanted Forest, you know." Regina just sighed, lifting her face to the sun as the wind gently caressed her skin and lifted strands of her hair. "And _what_ did you do to your hair? I'm not sure I like what this place is doing to you."

"Even we need to rest once in a while, Maleficent. No one knows us here. No one cares who we are. I thought you would enjoy that."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing," Maleficent stared at Regina, stunned.

"Absolute authority with no consequences," Regina said, confused by the depth of Maleficent's shock.

"You go from being Queen to being completely anonymous and you're _happy_ about that? Regina…this is ridiculous. You wear these ridiculous clothes, drive around in one of those insidious vehicles as if it's a prized steed, spend your days looking at _water_ and soaking up the sun, and…" she sighed, "look what you've done to your hair."

Regina smirked, turning her face back to the sun and closing her eyes again. "You should try it. It's very liberating." Maleficent huffed, annoyed that she couldn't get through to Regina. "Are you really so miserable here?"

"Of course. You might have gained all the power you wanted, but I'm even more anonymous than you."

Regina looked at Maleficent again, curious. "You miss being a target?"

"I miss my fucking palace," she muttered. Regina laughed. "Why did you even give me back my memories? That mansion is a far cry from anything I ever had in the Enchanted Forest."

"You want to forget everything? Fine."

"No!" Maleficent held up her hands. When she realized Regina had made no move to erase her memories she slowly lowered her hands, glaring angrily. She quickly rearranged her expression to hide her outburst, but Regina was already smirking. "You're enjoying this, I see."

"Of course not, my dear Maleficent," Regina said, her voice dripping honey. "Whatever can I do to make you happy?"

"Some power would be nice. Not an ounce of magic here. Ridiculous!"

"Perhaps you could be mayor?"

"And babysit a bunch of depressed dwarves? No thank you." She shook her head.

"Sheriff, then? You'd be in charge of law enforcement. That might be fun."

Maleficent smirked. "Can I make that Huntsman my deputy?" Regina shot her a dirty look. Maleficent laughed quietly. "Really, even here? Fine. I'll settle for having a little sway over certain…identities."

"Identities are mine to manipulate, not yours." But Regina's words had little force behind them. Maleficent seized her chance.

"You made Aurora a housewife."

"I didn't _make_ Aurora anything; the curse did. I assure you she's quite miserable."

"She ruined my life," Maleficent hissed.

Regina sighed. "What did you have in mind?"

"I want her gone. Out of this town."

Regina considered Maleficent's words. She shifted forward on the rocks so she could let her feet hang over the edge of the sheer drop. "Bad things happen when someone leaves town," Regina said absent-mindedly. In truth she had no idea what would happen to anyone who left.

"My point exactly. I want her gone, and if that means something bad happens to her, so be it. Just because you're content to live in the same town as your traitorous bitch doesn't mean I am. And what does it matter to you? You have no reason to keep her here."

"True…" Regina muttered. It was true, she had no reason whatsoever to care whether Aurora – Meghan Dorian – lived in Storybrooke or not. But the idea of allowing Maleficent to take advantage of her power made her hackles rise.

"Regina," Maleficent slid a hand under Regina's chin, forcing Regina to meet her gaze, "you need allies here whether you like it or not. Do this for me and I'll put all this messy curse business behind us."

Regina jerked her head back to release the grip on her chin. "Fine," she drawled, rolling her eyes.

Maleficent smiled and copied Regina's laid-back pose, dangling her own feet over the cliff. "Maybe I _can_ get used to this."

* * *

Regina looked down at her watch with a heavy sigh. The heat of the day had already worn her patience thin, and now she was stuck in a line. With her newly implanted 'memories' of a life lived as Raya Molina, operating in the new world was simple enough, but adjusting to the change was still frustrating for Regina. The temptation to make everyone suddenly forget that they needed money was unbelievably tempting, but she had to remind herself that she would have to limit her manipulation of the curse if she wanted it to remain strong. So she waited in line at the bank, grinding her teeth and silently cursing the middle aged man trying pathetically to flirt with the twenty-something teller.

"Not a chance in hell, buddy." Regina started, whirling to face the source of the whispered words. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you."

Regina looked into the face of the man in front of her but there was no spark of recognition. Since the curse readily supplied her with the identities – real and fake – of all the citizens of Storybrooke, she knew this man was a stranger. He was the first stranger she had encountered in Storybrooke – perhaps the first one to enter the town – and she couldn't help her curiosity. This was a real citizen of the new world. Time to put her hard work to the test. "Even if he _wasn't_ old enough to be her father. It's pathetic."

"Still, you gotta give the guy some credit. He's got balls." Regina let her eyes wander discreetly as he spoke, distracted by the spectacle before them. He was barely taller than Regina, though she quickly reminded herself that she was wearing six inch stilettos - which only made her patience that much thinner. He was wearing a light, plain shirt with the sleeves rolled up and dark shorts, with has hands stuffed casually in his pockets, but Regina could see he was wearing an expensive watch; probably a businessman, dressed down for the hot weather, just passing through town on his way to a meeting. Finally her gaze settled on his face, and she drank in every detail, from his slightly crooked smile to his startling green eyes, all the way up to his jet black hair, which was styled short and professional but still retained an air of the wild mane it undoubtedly once was.

"Why do you say that?" She asked, forcing herself back to the conversation.

"He's making a fool of himself in front of 30 people. Now that takes guts."

"Or a complete disregard for his dignity."

"Ah, a pessimist." He smiled. Regina couldn't help returning it. "I'm James, by the way." Regina felt a shiver run down her spine, but she managed to hide it. "But everyone calls me Jamie." Regina let out a silent sigh of relief, though she couldn't quite identify where the tension came from in the first place.

"Regina," she said, extending her hand to grasp his. "I don't think I've ever seen you around here before. Are you new in town?"

"I come down this way a lot on vacation, trying to get away from the city, but I never knew about this town before. Thought I'd come check it out. I figured it must be a small town, since I'd never heard of it before, but it seems…bigger somehow. Like one of those houses that looks tiny from the outside, but you walk in and it feels like a mansion." Regina just smiled. "What about you? You been here long?"

'Oh, just a couple of months. I used to be a Queen, until I cursed the entire world and brought all of my enemies here to suffer. It's been a hell of a culture shock.' Regina struggled to suppress her smirk. "Born and raised," she lied, stretching her smirk into a smile.

"You don't really strike me as a 'small town' girl." He returned her smile with his own; it was almost boyish and made his eyes light up.

"Oh? What kind of girl do I strike you as?"

"The kind who likes to be in charge. Like you should be a big city attorney or CEO or something."

'You have no idea,' she thought. "We've known each other for five seconds," she said, but she couldn't keep the amusement out of her voice.

"It's the way you carry yourself. Like you own the place." He winked.

She winked back. "Maybe I do."

**Okay, so I lot of you are probably thinking: nice back story, but WTF if the point? Well, my answer is twofold. First, I intended this to be a Regina-centric fic and I put it right there in the description, so it shouldn't surprise you that there's a lot of Regina here. And second, I'M GETTING TO IT! Haha, I promise all the threads will come together soon and all will become clear. Some of this is purely for my own amusement, since Regina's backstory in SB is the one thing I wanna see on the show more than anything, but I promise it DOES have a point. Several, actually, if I can put all the threads together just right. And yes, I am aware that strangers cannot come to Storybrooke, but I promise this story is strictly canon (or at least it's based on canon). Hang in there ;) Anyway, keep reading, keep enjoying, and keep reviewing! So happy to hear from the readers!**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

**Just so everyone is following along, the chronological order of chapters so far is 4, 7, 11 (these take place just after the curse was cast, after everyone's arrival in Storybrooke), 1, 2, 3(1st half), 5, 3(second half), 6(first half), 8(6 and 8 overlap), 6(second half), 9, 10. First half of this chapter takes place just after chapter 8, and the second half is a continuation of chapter 10. I know it's a little confusing with all the pieces sort of scattered, but I promise it will all come together and everything will make sense by the end of the fic. Personally I love stories that you can go back and read once all the pieces come together, and my writing style definitely reflects my reading preference. I will continue to update and re-post the order as we go along so no one gets lost. Anyway, enjoy!**

"Get out of my house," Regina said, her voice low and menacing.

"I know what you're planning."

"Are you actually trying to threaten me in my own home? I could end your miserable life right now if I wanted." Regina could feel the pounding in her head growing stronger, clouding her thoughts.

"Maybe. But you'd only suffer for it. You can't control it, Regina-"

"It's Your Majesty!" Regina snarled.

A sigh. "My apologies, Your Majesty. But I can see what's happening to you, even if you can't. Revenge won't change anything."

"What do you care? You want me dead anyway, just like the rest of them. Get out!"

"Snow White is merciful. She doesn't want to kill you. She can protect you."

Regina laughed mirthlessly. "Protect me? You want me to crawl back to Snow White and beg for her _protection_?" She laughed again.

"Rumplestiltskin has a plan, and he _will_ succeed. Unless you find a way to protect yourself. Please, Your Majesty, don't do this. You can't defeat him."

Regina rounded on the intruder, a sudden explosion reducing her dresser to matchsticks, showering the room with shredded cloth. "Why are you here? Afraid I'll destroy your precious town? Or just trying to play the saint, saving the evil witch from herself? Well forget it. Rumplestiltskin is responsible for this whole fucking disaster and I _will_ make him suffer. And if you don't want to join him, stay out of my way." Her nightstand burst into flames and the pain swelled so violently in Regina's head that she fell to her knees with a gasp.

"Don't you see what's happening? You emotions are out of control. If you don't rein them in you won't have to worry about anyone else – the magic will kill you. At least find somewhere to hide until you calm down!"

"GET OUT!" Regina bellowed and her bedside lamp sailed through the air. She saw a blurry image of her intruder leaving before she collapsed with a scream of agony, eventually falling unconscious.

Regina opened her eyes several hours later, blinking slightly in the early morning sun breaking through her window. She sat up slowly, her head spinning, making her nauseous. Thankfully the pain was gone. She looked around at the damage from the previous night, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Nothing in that room mattered; her entire house was nothing more than a façade of normalcy, put on for the sake of assimilating to this world. Except one room. But Regina would never set foot in that room again.

Raising herself slowly off the floor, Regina headed downstairs. She considered making some breakfast, but something about this normal daily chore seemed ridiculous. Instead she decided some cool morning air would do her far more good than a hardy breakfast, so she stepped out back. She looked up at her tree and felt her stomach churn. She cursed under her breath. It all reminded her of her loss, and it was maddening. Feeling disgusted and frustrated, she was about to go back inside when something caught her eye at the base of the tree.

Regina hesitated. From where she stood it looked like a large envelope was resting against the tree, and she knew that only two people could have left it. She wasn't sure she wanted to read anything from either one of them. But eventually curiosity won out and Regina quickly crossed the yard. As she drew closer it became clear that it wasn't an envelope at all, but rather a small stack of papers, slightly damp from the morning dew. She bent down to pick them up and felt her stomach flip as her eyes fell of her own name.

The edges of the pages she held were rough, and Regina knew exactly what they were, even without seeing her name. They were pages ripped from Henry's book. She flipped over the top page and stared down at the illustration. Her heart ached and she quickly flipped it back over. Her eyes stung but she seemed to have no tears left to shed. For a long time she simply stared down at the page in her hands, not wanting to read them but unable to put them down. Finally her eyes began to slide over the words of their own volition. Taking the pages back inside, she sat down at the breakfast table and began to read.

* * *

Emma's limbs felt like lead as she moved. The silence of the town pressed down on her as she moved farther and farther from the diner, heading towards the last explosion she had heard. They seemed to have stopped, but Emma knew that Regina was still out there, ready to destroy anything that stepped in her path. Numbness set in, and Emma felt as though she were running on auto-pilot, her brain incapable of coherent thought. A voice inside her was screaming for her to stop, to turn back, to run and hide, _anything_ but face Regina. But she ignored the voice. There was no other option. She would not let Henry pay the price for her foolish decision. And really, if she had to die at the hands of anyone, she would much rather give Regina the honours than Rumplestiltskin.

Thinking about Henry only made Emma's heart ache. She tried to push his image away, but it would not be shoved aside so easily. It was a cruel joke, Emma thought. She finally had the family she'd been searching for her whole life – a mother, a father, and an incredible son – and now she was being dragged away from them. All she could do was remind herself that she was doing the right thing, protecting Henry…but she couldn't stop herself from imaging the look of devastation on his face when Snow or James told him that his mother was dead. The mother he had fought so hard to bring here, to convince of her destiny.

And what of Regina? What would become of her once she killed Emma? Surely the death of their saviour would ignite the passions of the town, and this time Snow would have no hope of extinguishing the blaze. Would they kill her? Would she get a swift beheading or a torturous burning at the steak? Would Henry have to watch her die? Emma tried to tell herself that Snow and James would never let that happen, but what did it matter? He would know what the townspeople had done. He would lose the woman who raised him at the hands of his beloved fairytale characters – weeks? days? hours? – after losing his birth mother at the hands of the woman who raised him. He wouldn't have to witness either death to be forever traumatized by the events.

'And what if I succeed?' Emma thought to herself. How could she ever look Henry in the eye again knowing Regina's blood was on her hands? He still cared about her; Emma could see it. Exactly how much did he still care? Would he forgive Emma, knowing she hadn't made the choice freely? Maybe he would try, but Emma suspected he would always resent her.

The endless questions were making Emma's head spin. She was so consumed with thoughts of Henry that she barely noticed when she arrived at the castle – or rather, the last ruined boards that were the only remnants of the castle. A little ways off, standing on the edge of the rocks that lead down to the water with her back to Emma, was Regina. Emma realized then that she had no weapon, and nearly burst out laughing. What did it matter? No weapon would protect her from the Evil Queen.

"He sent you here," Regina said quietly, her voice carried on the wind.

"I've come to make a deal," Emma called out, her feet suddenly unwilling to carry her any closer to her enemy.

Regina turned slowly to face Emma. The wind whipped through her hair and clothing, adding a wild edge to the dark fury in her eyes. Her eyes seemed to glow, and Emma could see that Regina's magic was even more wild and ferocious than the woman herself. There was also a look of amusement in Regina's eyes, and Emma realized that she wore a surprised expression, not having expected those words to pass her lips. "I'm not in the business of making deals anymore," Regina said with a smile that bordered on a snarl.

Emma felt the strength in her legs threatening to disappear. Facing Regina was like facing a rabid beast, fierce in its own right and then driven mad by disease. Emma couldn't be sure if it was the magic that infected Regina or simply her hatred and grief. Either one would be deadly, but they seemed to feed off each other, one growing stronger only to fuel the other. Emma couldn't imagine any attempt to reason would even penetrate Regina's mind, but it was her last chance for survival. For _everyone's_ survival.

**Who was Regina talking to? o.O**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"She's coming!" Grumpy hissed.

Snow darted to the window next to Grumpy, where she could see out into the streets of Storybrooke. Sure enough, making her way very slowly towards the diner, was Regina. The wind was whipping through her hair, that wild fierceness making the fury in her eyes seem animalistic. Snow's heart sank, and she could feel the agony ripping through her as she fought to maintain her composure. This was not the time or the place to lose control. She felt a hand squeeze her shoulder.

"We have to hide," Red said. She crouched down next to Snow, her heart aching for the pain she knew her friend was feeling. Her voice was gentle and comforting, though she couldn't hide the urgency in her words.

"No. She'll find us no matter where we go. We have to stand and fight." Again James reached for his sword, a reflex. His eyes were glistening with tears, but he couldn't afford to let them fall. His child…he couldn't let the loss tear him apart. Not at such a critical time, not when so many people were counting on him.

Snow took his hand in both of hers. "These people aren't soldiers or knights, James. We can't put their lives at risk."

James looked around at the people in the diner, all of them huddled together in groups, some of them looking terrified, others merely defeated. Jiminy settled on James's shoulder. "I can lead them out, to the forest where they'll be safe."

"Nowhere is safe anymore," Grumpy said gravely.

A hush fell over the diner. No one moved. The fear was palpable. The shock of losing their saviour had left everyone feeling utterly hopeless. As Snow looked around she could see several young people crying silently, some of them literally shaking with fear. She couldn't help looking down at Henry, who was clinging to her waist. "He's right," she said quietly. "She'll find us no matter where we go. But…" She looked up, meeting James's gaze, "she doesn't want everyone."

"No," James said, shaking his head. "Snow, you know what happened the last time you confronted her." He lowered his voice, standing very close to her now. "She's not going to curse you this time."

Snow smiled sadly. "She brought us here because of me. Because I destroyed her happiness. I won't let everyone suffer for my sake again."

James let his tears fall, unable to suppress his despair any longer. He bent his head forward to rest his forehead against Snow's. "I can't lose you again," he said, his voice barely audible. Snow squeezed his hand, wanting to comfort him, knowing there could be no comfort for him now.

Henry listened to the exchange, desperately trying to come up with a plan, an argument, anything to stop Snow from leaving. It was too much; Regina would only be coming here if Emma failed, and the realization hit Henry hard. The thought of losing his grandmother too was more than he could handle. He began to sob. Snow wrapped her arms around him tightly. "You have so many friends here, Henry. Don't you ever forget that. They'll take good care of you, I promise."

"Of course we will," Red said, resting her hand gently on Henry's head. Snow looked up at her with a swell of gratitude.

"Don't leave," Henry sobbed, unable to contain himself.

"I have to find a way to end this. You were so brave, Henry. You stood up for what you believed in, even if that meant putting yourself in danger, and you saved me. You saved all of us. Now you have to let me do the same for you." Her words seemed to penetrate Henry's despair. He looked up at her, tears still streaming. Slowly, reluctantly, he released her. Ruby put her arms around him and he clung to her waist, sobbing heavily again.

Snow put both of her hands on Ruby's shoulders. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice threatening to break, tears shining in her eyes. Ruby just nodded, knowing she would be unable to contain her own tears if she spoke. Snow turned to James and rested her hands on his chest, gazing up into his eyes as his tears fell. She loved that about him; he never hid the depth of his emotions. She raised herself up on the balls of her feet and kissed him deeply, savouring the taste of his lips. He let out a shaky breath as their lips parted. It took every ounce of strength he had to release her.

With one last look at the faces around her, Snow pushed open the door and stepped out into the street.

Regina, who had been slowly making her way towards the diner, stopped as she saw Snow exit. For a long, tense moment the two women simply stood facing each other, the weight of their long history hanging over them, threatening to crush them should the balance shift even slightly. Summoning up the last of her courage, Snow began to walk forward. When they were within talking distance she stopped. "I'm here for Henry," Regina said, her voice low. Her tone was flat, emotionless, but Snow could see the deep hatred burning in her eyes.

"He's not yours anymore, Regina. You've lost this time. We will _never_ let you have him." Snow could feel some of her courage returning at the thought of Henry.

"Then he will die," Regina said. Snow's careful mask of composure fell, replaced with a look of shock. Not at Regina's words, but at the sudden change in her voice. Snow could feel the emotion resonate inside here – the deep, indescribable, all-consuming sorrow of losing a child. She watched the hate suddenly die in Regina's eyes, and its disappearance was so sudden and so unexpected that Snow could only stare, any thoughts of what to do or say next having vanished. "You have to let me take him. I can protect him." Regina was almost begging, and it took Snow several moments to form coherent thoughts again.

"You expect me to just hand him over to you?" With a puff of smoke Regina was suddenly right in front of Snow, so close she could feel the heat radiating from Regina's body. Something clicked inside her, some understanding, but it was fleeting and it disappeared before Snow could identify it.

"Snow…trust me." Snow rolled her eyes, but there was a slight shimmer in the air and her words of disbelief died. Her gaze traveled down, following the path of the shimmering air, and she saw something faint appear on Regina's left wrist. It grew steadily clearer, and Snow gasped as she recognized the image: a small white flower. She looked up into Regina's eyes and felt her strength nearly vanish. She was about to speak but Regina quickly clasped a hand over her mouth. "Trust me," she repeated. Her voice was higher, lighter, still Regina's but not quite. And Snow was looking, not into the deep chocolate brown of Regina's eyes, but the dark bluish-green of Emma's.

Snow nodded slowly. Regina blinked and her eyes darkened once again, the tattoo also vanishing. "Bring him here. We're running out of time." The note of authority returned to Regina's voice, all traces of her previous emotional outburst gone.

Snow hurried back to the diner. There were a few gasps as she came inside, and countless looks of shock, but she ignored them. She walked over to Ruby and held out her hand to Henry. "Snow, what are you doing?" Red asked, pulling Henry away.

"It's ok, Red. Trust me. I'm going to keep him safe. Henry, do you trust me?" Henry nodded. Snow smiled and took Henry's hand firmly in her own. Red released her grip, but there was still deep concern in her eyes.

"Snow, what are you doing?" James asked, afraid and confused.

"Don't worry," she said before hurrying back outside.

Henry saw Regina waiting for them down the street and felt his heart begin to pound. There was so much anger in her, so much hatred, that she was barely recognizable. But when she caught sight of him it was as if the fire were extinguished. She crouched down, a hesitant smile on her face, and opened her arms. Henry paused for a moment and Regina's smile faltered. Then he jerked his hand out of Snow's grasp and raced towards Regina, who scooped him up in a tight hug. She struggled to suppress a sob. This wasn't the time. She looked at Snow; her hatred might be kept at bay with Henry in her arms, but she could still feel it, burning embers threatening to ignite an inferno once more. "I'm going to take you somewhere safe, Henry," Regina whispered in the boy's ear. He nodded, his arms wrapped tightly around her neck. Her eyes still locked on Snow, she reached inside and eased open the beast's cage, letting the magic slip, and suddenly she and Henry vanished.

* * *

Emma groaned as she opened her eyes, the low-hanging sun glaring at her, making her head pound. She raised herself up slowly, fighting a wave of nausea, and looked around carefully. She was still at the castle, but Regina was nowhere to be found. Emma cursed under her breath and – ignoring the pain – took off towards the diner as fast as her legs would carry her. When she arrived she saw, to her relief, everyone still gathered inside. It seemed to have become a sort of official headquarters.

She pulled the door open and slipped inside, scanning the room. There was a sudden burst of cheering and applause and a lot of shocked expressions, but she ignored all of it. Snow and James both approached her, their eyes filled with emotion, reaching their hands out to her but she pushed them away. She locked her eyes on Snow and said, very clearly so as to be heard over the noise, "Where is Henry?"

Snow's smile fell. She wore an expression of confusion for a moment, but seeing Emma's fear and urgency it slowly changed to one of dawning horror. "He's with Regina."

**_"Something clicked inside her, some understanding, but it was fleeting and it disappeared before Snow could identify it." _Anyone care to hazard a guess? I love reading all your theories, it's fun :D  
**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Regina opened her eyes to find herself deep underground in her mausoleum. The memory of her father resting overhead was unsettling, but she knew that this place was safe. Possibly the only safe place in Storybrooke now. She set Henry down carefully and he looked around, taking in his new surroundings in the dim light. He looked up at Regina. "That was cool," he whispered, as though he were afraid to speak any louder.

Regina smiled faintly. She lowered herself down to the ground, leaning against the wall to stretch her legs out in front of her. She felt completely exhausted. Henry stood in place for a long time, simply taking in every detail of the tiny room. Regina closed her eyes, but after a few moments she heard Henry ask, "What's behind the curtain?" and her eyes flew open. She threw herself forward, hand outstretched to stop him, but she was too late. Henry had already pulled open the curtains and was staring up at her vault – her wall of hearts. She saw him shudder.

"Step away from that," she said, but she was too exhausted to infuse any real authority into her words.

"Are these…are they all…" he wasn't sure what he actually wanted to know.

"Some of them are empty," she muttered, knowing it was little consolation. Once her prized collection, a source of triumph and amusement, the image of all those boxes – those tiny prisons – suddenly made her feel sick. Seeing Henry staring up at it was horrifying. His back was to her, but she didn't need to see his face to know that he was filled with horror and disgust.

"Are they all…like Graham?" He asked, finally letting the curtains fall shut.

Regina wasn't sure exactly what he meant. Did he mean were they all dead, or were they all walking around without hearts? "My knights. They used to…pledge their loyalty. By giving me their heart."

Henry turned to face her. His expression was a mixture of confusion, sadness, and something else that Regina couldn't quite identify. Disbelief, maybe. She was relieved to see that he didn't look angry or disgusted. 'He has every right to,' she thought miserably. "Does Rumplestiltskin know about this place?" He asked, sitting down in front of the curtains, his legs crossed.

"I'm sure he does. But now that magic is here, the old enchantment on this place is back. No one can enter without my permission."

"I don't remember anything like this in the book. I remember..," he gestured towards the hearts, "that, but I thought it was in your palace." Henry was trying so hard to keep his face neutral, his voice casual, but Regina could see the childish glee in his eyes at being able to discuss his book with someone who could finally confirm the truth in its pages.

"It's a small part of my family's mausoleum. It was part of the palace I grew up in." She pushed aside the unpleasant memories that followed her words.

Henry looked puzzled. "But…why did you bring it here? This isn't where you buried Henry in the story…"

Regina sighed. She wasn't eager to discuss her father, but she knew her son well and she knew he would not let her avoid his questions. "I wanted to put him there, but the land was sold to Midas when we left for Leopold's castle. Getting to it would have been difficult, if not impossible. I guess the curse detected my desire and brought enough of the old structure over to give my father a proper tomb. He's the only one I cared about, anyway."

They sat in silence for a while. Regina rested her head against the cold stone and once again let her eyes drift shut. She could practically hear Henry's brain working, buzzing with a millions questions he longed to finally ask. "Did you see those pages I left?" Regina's eyes flew open and she lifted her head to look at Henry. This was not a question she had been expecting. She had assumed…but of course it had been Henry. Did Regina really think he ever let that book out of his sight? Did she really think that _anybody_ could rip out pages without him knowing about it?

She hesitated to answer his question. Now that she knew exactly who had left the pages, she also knew his motives. It made her heart ache. She could feel the chasm opening, like it had done so many times since Emma's arrival, so many times before her departure from the Enchanted Forest. It ripped open her insides and threatened to leave her breathless, tumbling down into the darkness with dizzying speed, all sense of direction lost. She struggled to keep breathing, to not show Henry the immense hole that was her blackened heart. He didn't deserve to be tainted by such a thing. Unable to speak, she nodded, averting her eyes. She hoped he would not see her internal struggle.

"I just thought…" But whatever he had hoped to achieve was lost as he let his voice trail off. Regina did not urge him on, and she felt the chasm slowly shutting – for now.

"Who has the book now?" She asked when she finally regained control of her breathing. She was thankful that her voice contained no traces of her recent turmoil.

Henry smiled. "I do," he said. He slipped off his backpack; in her haste Regina hadn't even noticed he was wearing it. He reached inside and pulled out the monstrous tome, setting his now empty backpack aside so he could rest the book in his lap. "You...didn't destroy those pages, did you?" He looked up at her with genuine concern. He didn't like that his book was incomplete. 'It was incomplete before he tore out those pages,' she reminded herself.

"No," she answered simply. He nodded. "But you destroyed the ending of the book, didn't you?"

Henry looked down, tracing his fingers over the raised lettering on the cover. He nodded. "They were about Emma. About how she came here. I didn't want you to know who she was, but I guess it didn't matter."

"I knew who she was the day she arrived, Henry. I didn't need to read it in the book."

Henry looked up at her, shocked. "You knew she was Snow White's daughter? That she could break the curse? Then why…" his voice faltered and he dropped his gaze again.

"Why didn't I kill her?" Regina said quietly. Henry just looked up at her, and the hope in his eyes…it was crushing. She wanted desperately to say 'because I love you and I couldn't do that to you' or 'because I was tired of killing for the curse', but neither of those were the truth. Henry would know that after what she did with that poisoned apple. "Killing Emma would have broken the curse."

"But..." he pulled open the book, flipping rapidly through pages. "Rumplestiltskin never told you that, did he?"

Regina burst out laughing, and the sudden noise in the silent room made Henry jump, nearly falling over. "Oh yes," Regina said, regaining her composure but still grinning. "He told me all about it. _After_ we arrived. I had hoped that the barrier would keep her out, since she wasn't really a citizen of Storybrooke, but…well, you thwarted that plan quite nicely." She smiled at Henry, and he returned it a little nervously.

"So Emma couldn't have come if I hadn't brought her? But I thought it was because she's the saviour?"

"Strangers can only be brought into Storybrooke with the express permission of someone who knows about the curse. It's the same for anyone trying to leave, although no one can get much farther than the barrier no matter who they're with." She didn't mention what exactly would happen to anyone who did, but the sadness in Henry's eyes told her he already knew.

Curiosity won out over his momentary grief, and he asked, "What about August? He came here without anyone letting him in."

"Because he knew about the curse."

"So when Emma left town with him…"

"She could leave town because she wasn't cursed. She wouldn't have been able to return without him, though."

"But she came back on her own. She left him in the woods."

Regina sighed. "She must have believed. Maybe not fully, but it must have been enough." 'The curse really _was_ always doomed,' she thought.

Henry opened his mouth to speak, shut it, then went back to tracing the letters on his book. Just when Regina thought the topic was closed, he asked, "Why was I able to leave? Why didn't I die when I went too far?"

Regina leaned forward and grasped Henry's hand in hers. With her free hand she gently lifted his chin so their eyes met. "You are not cursed, Henry. You were never cursed."

"But I wasn't really free, either." His words hit Regina like a physical blow. They hung heavy in the air as they gazed at each other, and her eyes stung with fresh tears.

She released him, leaning back against the wall once more. "No. I guess you weren't." She held out her hand, palm up, and Henry saw a puff of smoke. Something appeared in her palm and it wasn't until she handed it to him that he realized what it was. His swan light. "This is what you were looking for that night, isn't it? You were hoping you could sneak in."

Henry took the light gingerly, looking at it almost reverently. Regina smiled sadly, feeling her chest constrict. Henry examined it carefully, reassuring himself that it really was his cherished light and not an illusion. Then he set it down – very carefully – and threw his arms around Regina. "I thought I'd never see it again."

"It's yours. I know how much you love it. And I thought…you might want a reminder of her now."

Henry released Regina and took a step backwards. It dawned on him suddenly that in the chaotic turn of events he had forgotten why he was so upset, and it horrified him. "No!" Regina said quickly, holding out her hands. "Emma's alive! She's alive, I promise. I just meant…I don't know how long we'll have to stay here. You might…be apart for a while and I wanted you to have this so -"

"That's not why I wanted it," Henry interrupted.

"Then why did you try to get it back?" Regina asked, baffled.

Henry looked down at the light. He looked around the room but wasn't surprised to find there were no outlets anywhere. Regina grasped the prongs of the plug and pulled off the fabric cover, and suddenly the tiny room was flooded with light and images of swans slowly circling on the walls. "You don't remember? Whenever I had a bad dream, you used to take the cover off and let the swans swim around the room. You said they were circling me. That they would protect me. You said if anything ever tried to hurt me, they'd all run out and tell..."

"The Evil Queen," Regina whispered, tears in her eyes again. "You were so young. I didn't think you remembered that."

"I used to be terrified of Ursula. You told me Ursula was too scared of the Evil Queen to ever threaten her prince." He smiled.

Regina laughed, her eyes shining. Henry slid over to sit beside her, resting his head against her. She wrapped her arms around him and began to sing quietly:

_Hushabye, don't you cry_

_Go to sleep, my little baby_

_When you wake, you shall have_

_All the pretty little horses_

As she sang the familiar, haunting melody, she reveled in the feeling of Henry in her arms again at last. It had been so long since he showed any affection towards her. She knew she longed to have closeness again, but finally having him nestled against her filled her with a deep ache, as if she were only now aware of just how much she'd been lacking. How much she really missed him. She gave in to that ache and finally let her tears fall.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"Wow. This place is…" Jamie looked around, impressed.

"Yeah…it's a little much. But I grew up in a big house, so this just feels like home. Do you want anything to drink?" Regina moved into the kitchen to grab a glass of water for herself.

Jamie noticed a bowl of apples sitting on a small table. He picked one up, looking around curiously as he noted several more strategically placed bowls of dark red apples. "Deep, abiding fear of the doctor? You know that whole 'apple a day' thing is just a saying, right?"

Regina peered around the kitchen entrance and laughed when she saw what he was holding. "I have an apple tree out back. I've tended to it since I was a little girl. Most of those end up as cider or pastries."

Jamie lifted the apple to his lips and took a large bite. Regina just smiled, and he followed her into the kitchen, steadily munching the apple. "What do you do with all the pastries?" He asked between mouthfuls.

"They pile up in the freezer until growing season is over, and then I make my way through them over the winter. Why, you want one?"

He shook his head. "Nope. Just trying to wrap my head around you in here baking turnovers all day."

Regina laughed. Jamie quickly devoured the rest of the apple while Regina mixed up some lemonade for both of them. Then he slid over to stand behind her and rested his chin on her shoulder, his hands sliding around her waist. "Your fruit is delicious," he whispered.

"Wait 'til you taste my pie," she teased.

Jamie chuckled. He kissed Regina's neck softly, breathing in the light citrus scent of her shampoo mingled with the sweet vanilla of her perfume. He sighed, his hot breath tickling the back of her neck. "I love you," he whispered.

Regina froze. Jamie continued to kiss her neck, unaware of the change in her. Feeling her chest constrict, Regina struggled to draw breath. Jamie sensed her discomfort and gently twisted her to face him. She slid free of his grasp, regaining her breath but feeling flustered. "I'm sorry," Jamie hurried to apologize. "You're not ready; it's okay. You don't have to say anything, you don't -"

"Get out," Regina said, wringing her hands. She tried to look at him but she couldn't meet his eyes.

Jamie was shocked. Things had been going so well between them for over six months. He knew she had trouble accepting the relationship at times, so he did his best to take it slow, but her reaction was incomprehensible. He could understand some of what he was seeing, but he couldn't understand…the anger. It took him a moment to identify the emotion, masked by so many others, but it clicked suddenly and he was baffled. "Gina…"

"Don't call me that. Get out of my house." Her voice was low and menacing. The anger seemed to be winning, fighting off every other visceral reaction until suddenly she was able to meet his gaze. His argument was silenced as he looked into her eyes. The soft chocolate brown he had come to know was now dark, almost black. More than anger, he looked deep inside her and saw hatred. Her whole being seemed to swell with it. It terrified him. Without another word, unable to look at her for another minute, he left.

* * *

"Jamie! Jamie, wait up. What's your hurry?"

"I'm going home," he said, fishing his keys out of his pocket as he headed towards the hotel.

She swooped in front of him, blocking his path, face full of concern. "Did something happen? What's wrong?"

Jamie looked over his shoulder in the direction of Regina's house. He felt a chill run down his spine. What _did_ happen? "She…" he shook his head. "She doesn't feel the same about me. I…I can't be with her anymore. I'm sorry, I know she's your friend…"

"Oh, no, please don't leave. This is all my fault. I was wrong to push you. Maybe you were right, maybe you _should_ have let her come to you. She'll see the light soon enough, I'm sure of it."

Jamie shook his head. "No, you were right. She was never going to come to me. Better to find out now than waste any more time here."

"She's a fragile soul."

"I don't think fragility is her problem," Jamie muttered. "I'm sorry, I really have to go." He smiled sadly. "Goodbye."

With that he headed into Granny's B&B. He gathered his belongings as quickly as he could, checked out, paid the bill, and drove out of Storybrooke. Even in the wake of disaster, his chest still ached for what he was leaving. Maleficent watched from across the street, feeling content. Once she assured herself he was gone, she made her way to Regina's house.

"You're the last person I want to see right now," Regina said when she answered the door. She did an excellent job of projecting a calm, put together image, but Maleficent knew better. This stoic, regal poise did not come from a place of serenity.

"I know what happened," Maleficent said, pushing her way past Regina and into the house. "But really, dear, you had to know this was going to happen. Why do you insist on torturing yourself? You have Graham, did you really need this one?"

Regina's hands clenched into fists at her sides. "Graham is an unwitting slave. Jamie chose to be with me. You're just angry he chose me over you."

Maleficent laughed. "You think I'm jealous? I think you're the one who's jealous. You're jealous that I was smart enough not to get involved with him. You know it as well as I do, Regina: you only get one true love. And ours are gone. You could never have loved him."

Regina was shaking with rage, tears threatening to fall. "Get out," she whispered. Maleficent let out a heavy sigh, grabbed an apple from the table in front of her, and left the house. When the door shut Regina collapsed onto the tiled floor with a loud cry, pounding her fists against the unyielding marble. She continued the physical assault until she could feel the pain in her hands and arms begin to drown the pain in her heart.

'She wants power?' Regina thought, her pain solidifying once more into fury. 'I'll give her power. The mightiest power in all of Storybrooke.'


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Snow felt her blood run cold as Emma's words hit her. If she didn't know where Henry was… "He's with Regina," she said, feeling sick. "Oh gods. Emma…I thought…"

But her words were drowned out by a heavy sigh from Emma. She closed her eyes, gently massaging the back of her head, the pain returning as her panic ebbed. "Guess she just couldn't resist taking a shot at me," she said.

"You mean…"

"We worked it out. Henry's safe with her."

Snow let out a shaky breath, nearly sobbing with relief. The rollercoaster of emotions was wearing her out. "She had your tattoo. Your eyes." Snow looked at Emma questioningly.

"Yeah, she did some kind of magic…spell…I dunno." Emma absentmindedly caressed the small tattoo on her wrist. "She said if I gave her my permission she could use it. She said it would make you trust her. Guess it worked."

Snow nodded, but her relief still wasn't complete. "How do you know you can trust her? What if she just takes Henry and leaves?"

Emma could feel the anxiety gnawing at her. So much could go wrong with their plan. "She'll keep her word. If you can't trust her, you'll just have to trust me."

"What about Rumplestiltskin? You broke your deal with him. Henry may be safe, but you're in grave danger now. It won't be long before he knows what you did." James flexed his hands, restlessness gnawing at him. Just waiting around was becoming unbearable; he was a man of action. It was his job as king to protect his people, and he felt like he was failing them.

Emma looked up at the Blue Fairy. "I need your help. I know you said magic here is unpredictable, but it's the only hope we have against Rumplestiltskin."

"I don't think that's a good idea. There's no telling what could go wrong." The Blue Fairy settled on a table near Emma.

"Regina's going after Rumple, but we have to wear him down if she has any hope of winning. Is there any way we can corner him somewhere? Prevent him from teleporting away?" The Blue Fairy looked up at her, hesitant to commit. "If there's even a chance, we have to try."

The Fairy thought about it for a moment, then nodded abruptly. "I believe there's a way. But I need you to bring me something. If all goes well I should be able to use it to stabilize the spell."

"What is it?" James asked, eager to take action.

"A hat," she replied.

"Jefferson's hat," Emma said, nodding. She hadn't noticed before, but suddenly she realized that she hadn't seen Jefferson since before the spell was broken.

"Yes. I believe Jefferson is in hiding. He may have the hat with him, but I believe it was most recently in Regina's possession. It's the only way she could have retrieved her poisoned apple."

James nodded. "Wherever it is, I'll find it." With a quick kiss from Snow, he left, heading towards Regina's house as fast as his feet would carry him.

"Once we have him trapped, we need to distract him," Emma continued.

"King James will need his sword," Grumpy said. He exchanged looks with his fellow dwarves. "We'll go get it back."

Emma nodded and Grumpy left with two other dwarves that Emma only vaguely recognized. "Everyone else needs to help any way they can. Find whatever weapons you can, and stick together. We'll need to form small groups, that way we can keep each other protected but still spread ourselves enough to distract Rumple. Red," Emma turned to Red, who was looking at Emma with an expression of grim determination. "That cloak…Snow said it could make you… transform…without a full moon." Emma knew she was asking a lot, and she struggled to get the words out. Her voice was soft and hesitant, her previous authority slipping away.

But Red nodded eagerly. "I'll do it."

"Will, uh…I mean, can you control it?" Emma asked, unsure how much trust to place in Red.

"I won't be a danger to anyone but Rumplestiltskin," she assured Emma with a smirk. Emma couldn't help smiling. She glanced at Snow, feeling suddenly embarrassed at having taken charge from Snow – who, she remembered, was now Queen – but Snow was beaming. Emma returned her smile, basking in the look of pride on Snow's – her mother's – face.

* * *

"There's a lot Rumplestiltskin didn't tell you about the curse, isn't there?" Regina was startled, having assumed Henry was asleep. He shifted slightly so he could look up at her.

She sighed, brushing a strand of hair out of his face. She hated admitting it. "Yes. He knew I wouldn't ask the right questions. He knew I was in too much of a hurry."

"What else did he leave out?"

"Does it matter?" Regina asked quietly. She had to fight the edge threatening to creep into her voice. Thinking about Rumple's deception and her own foolishness set her teeth on edge.

Henry shifted free of her grasp to sit across from her. 'So he can see my expression. Find the lie there. Smart boy. Dammit.'

"Rumple told you that something bad would happen to anyone who tried to leave. Did you know _what_ would happen?"

Regina shook her head. "Not until it actually happened."

"Who?" Henry asked, his voice a whisper again.

"Aurora. Maleficent wanted her out of Storybrooke but she couldn't convince her to leave. So she came to me."

"You sent her out of Storybrooke. And you knew something bad would happen." Regina suppressed the urge to squirm under his accusations. She kept herself still, her expression neutral.

"I was going to, but I…" Henry raised an eyebrow questioningly and Regina had to bite her cheek to keep from grinning. "I got distracted. I distanced myself from her. Eventually she manipulated a newcomer into telling Aurora stories about the world outside of Storybrooke. He painted such a wonderful picture of the city that she couldn't resist taking a trip."

"Wait…a newcomer? You mean a stranger? But strangers can't come to Storybrooke!"

"After what happened to Aurora I was worried more would follow." Technically the truth, Regina thought. "I talked to Rumplestiltskin, gave him some items I brought with me that still had magic, and he altered the curse to create a barrier around Storybrooke. Nobody in or out without being accompanied by someone who knows about the curse. Instead of something bad happening, they would simply find themselves too afraid to cross the barrier, or else forget why they wanted to cross it in the first place."

"So all those car wrecks…"

Regina laughed. "Just one hell of a coincidence."

"So what did Rumple want in exchange?"

Regina smiled. "Smart boy," she said, echoing her earlier thoughts. "He wanted me to make all the fairies nuns, and put the convent under his control."

"That's it?" Henry asked, incredulous.

"He really hates fairies," Regina said with a shrug.

Henry looked down at his hands, and Regina readied herself for what she knew was going to be an unpleasant question. "Miss Blanchard…"

"Henry…please don't. Please don't ask something you already know the answer to."

He looked up at her but she was now looking down at her own hands – which were clenched into fists. He could see her shaking slightly. At one time it might have made him nervous, sitting so near the Evil Queen while she shook with such anger, but now he only felt sad. He couldn't help wondering what it was like to be so twisted up with hate. He imagined it was agonizing.

"So the fairies weren't always nuns? You changed them?" Regina nodded. "But Rumple said the curse would take your desires and use them to give everyone their false identities. How could you change them without magic?"

"Just one more thing Rumple never told me. I'm connected to everyone in Storybrooke through the curse. That connection lets me change their memories, create whole new identities for them if I want. As long as I don't change them too often. I can also change the landscape of Storybrooke, although every change weakens the curse. And I could revert certain people back to their inhuman forms if I wanted. That's how Maleficent ended up under Storybrooke."

"So you – wait." Henry's eyes widened. "You changed her into a dragon? There's a dragon here?"

"Not anymore, thanks to Miss Swan." Regina felt a twinge of disappointment, but nothing more. Maleficent deserved it.

"Emma killed a dragon? That's so cool!" Regina laughed. Henry's excitement was short lived, replaced by curiosity. "What I don't get is why Rumple didn't tell you that in the first place. Why hide something that would only make the curse sound more appealing, if he wanted you to cast it so badly?"

Regina felt the magic in her swell suddenly and she fought against it. She had lost sight of where the conversation was heading, and the question blindsided her. Feeling the beast begin to thrash again, Regina shook her head. She didn't want to admit it. She didn't even want to admit it to herself. Her mistakes – her _weakness_ – it was infuriating. Letting them see her weakness was unacceptable. Coming to Storybrooke hadn't given her freedom, and now to admit that she even desired such a thing –

She looked at Henry, who was watching her with a confused and curious expression. Not hatred or anger, as Regina had always feared. 'He cares about you,' a voice said deep inside her. And for the first time in far too long, she believed that voice. She allowed it to swell and echo long and loud within her. Here he was, at long last, someone she could trust. Someone who truly cared about her, even knowing all of the horrible things she had done or tried to do. Someone who would not see her longing as weakness. In fact, knowing the truth might even set Henry's mind at ease. Might make him understand, if only a little, why everything had gone so wrong. So Regina closed her eyes, took a deep breath, felt the beast settle, and explained.

"I didn't want control over anyone. I wanted anonymity here. I _wanted_ to come to a land without magic. Giving up my power was never an option in the Enchanted Forest, not if I wanted to live. But here I could be free from it once and for all. Power, authority…I didn't want any of it." She opened her eyes. "But he knew. He knew what I truly desired, even if I pretended otherwise. He knew he couldn't tell me the truth. I had to discover it for myself, be enticed by the power here. He knew once I got here and felt the power, the authority without the risk, I would be drawn in. And…" she was shaking again, power coursing through her veins, "he knew if I gave up my power I might find happiness here. I might escape his grasp, become forever beyond his reach. He needed me power hungry and angry. Blind."

The last word was a growl and Regina realized, almost too late, that she had lost her grip on the magic. She felt it stretch out, slipping away from her, but managed to pull it back just as it threatened to break free. She stood up, flexing her hands, breathing rapidly, desperate to cool her temper. 'Forget Rumple. Think about Henry. Focus on Henry,' the voice urged her, and once again she listened. She forced her thoughts back to Henry, to all that they had shared recently, to the glorious possibilities that now lay before them. He was her son again.

Suddenly a thought struck her that drove the last of her anger out, and Regina whirled to face Henry. He was looking a little nervous, but seeing that Regina was calm again made him relax. "Henry, how did you know strangers couldn't enter Storybrooke?"

"All the conversations you and Rumple had about the curse are in my book," Henry replied, flipping to the appropriate page and holding it up to Regina. She took the book from him, shaking her head in confusion.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

**Second half takes place several years after chapter 15.**

A sudden pounding overhead made Henry jump. "I thought you said no one could get in here?" He asked, looking up, worried.

Regina squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. "They can't. Stay here, I'll be right back." Henry nodded and Regina quickly climbed the stairs, using her magic to push aside the heavy coffin and replace it before easing open the mausoleum door.

"Is he alright?" Emma asked, sounding slightly out of breath. Regina saw that night had fallen while she and Henry were resting.

"Of course he's alright," Regina snapped.

"My head still hurts," Emma said, glaring at Regina. They may be working for the same goal now, but clearly neither woman was ready to put the past behind them.

"You'll live," Regina said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Everyone's getting in place. We'll be ready soon."

"Already?" Regina was surprised. She had expected it would take days to pull together enough magic to trap Rumple. She felt cold disappointment settling in. She wanted more time.

"It was easier to get what we needed than we expected. But I'm sure our luck's gonna run out sooner or later. Are you ready?"

'No,' Regina thought. Her mind wandered longingly back down the stone steps to where Henry was waiting for her. "Of course," she said, reminding herself that Rumple had to be her priority now. After all, as long as he was alive he'd be a threat to Henry. "Are you ready, Miss Swan?"

Emma scoffed. "Just be ready when I come back." Emma paused for a moment, her eyes darting to the door behind Regina.

"We had a deal. I'm not letting him out of there until Rumplestiltskin is dead." And I'm damn well not letting _you_ in there, she added silently.

Emma sensed the unspoken words but decided to set aside her anger for a moment. They both needed to think with cooler heads now. "And what if something happens to you? Someone will need to go in there to get him."

Regina hesitated. The thought had occurred to her, but she wasn't quite ready to face it. Flexing her hand nervously, she finally nodded. "I, Regina Mills, Daughter of Cora and Henry Mills, hereby grant permission to Emma Swan, daughter of Snow White and Prince James, to freely enter the Mills mausoleum."

A strange pulse seemed to surge out from the structure and Emma felt a brief tingling sensation travel down her spine. She shuddered. Both women stared at each other for a long minute. Emma considered shoving Regina aside, deal be damned, and assuring herself that Henry really was okay. But something in Regina's gaze, some distant softness behind the cold fury, was enough to make her change her mind. Softness was not something she had ever seen in Regina before, and it surprised her. "Do you love him?" Emma asked quietly.

"Of course I love him," Regina replied, echoing her answer from what seemed like an eternity ago. The edge in her voice was just as Emma remembered it. Their eyes locked, each of them searching the other for some sign of weakness as if they were readying themselves for a strike.

"This is ridiculous," Emma said. She broke the stare, her good sense finally convincing her that winning a stare-down with Regina wasn't worth it; they had more important things to do. "Get yourself ready and make sure Henry stays inside." With that she left, heading off into the dark forest, praying to whatever gods she was supposed to believe in that Henry would be safe. And that they wouldn't fail.

* * *

The sound of bells chiming drew Mr. Gold's attention towards the shop door. He smiled warmly. "Ah, Regina. I haven't seen you in quite some time. Doing well, I assume?"

"That depends on what you have to say." Gold's brow furrowed questioningly, but he remained silent, allowing Regina to continue. "You're a lawyer, correct?"

Gold nodded. "Indeed I am, although I practice very little nowadays. I specialize in legal contracts. Having some legal trouble, Miss Mills?"

"No. I'm looking for someone to help me through the technicalities of the adoption process." She kept her voice steady, but every fibre of her being wanted to squirm under Gold's gaze. She knew he didn't recognize her for who she really was, knew he had no idea of her history or even his own, but she also knew a part of her would always see him as Rumplestiltskin. She could hear the distant echo of his _infuriating_ giggle, see the cunning in his monstrous eyes, see the rotten smile stretch across his face. All of it was absent in Mr. Gold, of course, but she couldn't help feeling disgusted by her own lack of foresight: Gold was the only lawyer in town.

"That's lovely, dear. Not a decision to be taken lightly. I would love to be of service. Well, for a fee, of course." He smiled, and Regina forced herself to return it. "But before we discuss specifics, let me give you some advice, free of charge." 'What the hell did the curse do to him?' Regina thought. "A single, unmarried, unemployed woman is going to have a great deal of difficulty being approved for adoption."

"I don't need a job to support a child. My family's money is more than enough."

"It wasn't meant as an insult. I'm simply warning you of the difficulties you'll likely face. This family of yours, do they live nearby? Having a support system will go a long way to helping any agency overlook the fact that you're single."

"I have no living family," Regina said.

Gold nodded. "I'm sorry to hear that. But support from the community can be just as valuable. I suggest participating more actively in the community. Spending some time now developing a sound support system will save you a great deal of time and difficulty later."

"You're saying I should postpone the entire process?" Regina wasn't impressed.

Gold sensed her frustration. "Why don't I gather some information and paperwork for you and we'll sit down together next week? There's no harm in getting started."

"Thank you, Mr. Gold. You've been very helpful." Regina left. Gold couldn't help wondering when – or if – she intended to return. With a slight shake of his head he went back to his work.

Regina walked briskly down the main street, ignoring everyone she passed. 'Rushing to a decision again,' her internal voice warned. Regina slowed her pace slightly. Pushing her conscience aside was practically second nature to Regina, but she felt a seed of doubt creeping into her this time. It was, after all, her rash decisions that got her into this mess in the first place. Storybrooke wasn't what she'd expected. It wasn't even really what she wanted. Still, she reasoned, it was better than the Enchanted Forest. Maybe she did need to step back, take some time to think about her decision…

"Oh, hello Regina." Regina's gaze snapped back to focus; she'd been so distracted she'd almost run straight into –

"Miss Blanchard," she drawled, unable to hide the venom in her tone. "What are you doing out here in the middle of the day?"

Mary Margaret lifted her head slightly, trying not to appear meek, but she couldn't meet Regina's gaze. She was deeply, inexplicable afraid of this woman. "I'm taking my class to the park," she said, her voice quiet. She tried to infuse it with cheer, but Regina could hear a slight quiver in it. She suspected she was the only one who ever really heard it.

She glanced behind Mary Margaret, not having noticed the trail of young children behind her. 'Talk about distracted,' she thought, trying to pull her full attention out of her own head and back to the world around her. "The park?"

"Well, it's really just a field, but it's the closest thing we have in Storybrooke. Mother Superior suggested I bring the children out here to play soccer on occasion. It's better than nothing, I suppose." She smiled, her eyes flitting momentarily to Regina's before settling on some distant point behind her.

"Miss Blanchard," one of the children said, tugging impatiently on Mary Margaret's arm. The veil of fear that had settled over her upon meeting Regina seemed to lift, and her eyes sparkled as she smiled down at the young girl. She rested her hand on the girl's head with a laugh. "Yes, yes, alright. I'm sorry, Regina, I really have to go. These poor kids are bursting with energy!" Regina nodded and watched Mary Margaret lead her class towards their destination.

For a moment Regina stood on the sidewalk, staring after them. As they finally disappeared in the distance, she turned her back on them and continued her brisk walk down the street. She arrived at her destination in no time and promptly slipped inside, as usual unconcerned that anyone might try to stop her. She heard a voice call out to her as she headed towards the large office doors but she ignored it. She barged into the room, to the shock and dismay of its occupant. "What is the meaning of this?" Albert Spencer rose from his chair, his shock replaced by anger.

"Mr. Mayor. I'm sorry to inform you that the town of Storybrooke will no longer need your services." Albert opened his mouth, no doubt to yell something at Regina, but she could already sense her connection to him and she quickly sent out a pulse, watching his eyes glaze. She closed her eyes, mentally gathering all of the cords that tied her to the citizens of Storybrooke. Changing one identity was simple, but changing her own required much more effort. She knew it would put a strain on the curse, but it was too late to change her mind now. She focused all of her mental energy on her goal, and felt a huge pulse shudder out, actually rippling through the air. She felt the curse – the living, breathing creature that it was – carry her will like a blanket to be stretched out over the whole town. She opened her eyes. "Did you need something, Distract Attorney Spencer?"

Albert shook his head, no doubt shaking off the lingering effects of the drastic change in the curse. He looked up at Regina, a little confused. "Uh…no. No, it's not important. My apologies, Madam Mayor."

"That's quite alright. Good day, Mr. Spencer." He nodded and quickly left the office, still a little shaken. His secretary appeared to have recovered already and was busy with her paperwork. Regina walked over to the desk – her desk – and ran her hand across the smooth surface. "A steady income?" Regina mused aloud. "Yes of course, I'm the town mayor. A support system? Why Mr. Gold, who's a more vital member of the community than the mayor herself?" Regina smiled. Maybe authority wasn't so bad after all.

**Just a quick note: I know NOTHING about the adoption process. I'm not sure you even really need a lawyer to adopt, but I figured Regina seeking legal advice isn't too far-fetched. I'm also not sure whether or not they would frown on her living off her family fortune (has lots of money AND lots of free time? Probably more of an asset…) but just go with it, okay? Thanks guys! Oh, by the way, Albert Spencer is King George's alter ego (he interrogated Mary Margaret in 'The Stable Boy'), just in case anyone was wondering.**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

***As I was writing I noticed I made a bit of a mistake in chapter 14. It's fixed now, but since you guys probably won't notice the update, I'm posting the note. Regina told Henry that Emma was only able to leave SB because she was with August, but actually she would have been able to leave SB regardless because she wasn't affected by the curse (also why Henry was able to leave). It's only coming _back_ that she would have needed August (unless, of course, she believed in the curse). Anyway, it's a minor change, only altered one line of dialogue, but it might be important later so I just wanted to make everyone aware of it. **

"You're not really going after him, are you?" Henry asked, worried.

"I'll be alright. The whole town is working together. Henry," Regina crouched down so she could look him in the eyes, "promise me you'll stay here."

"I promise," Henry said quickly.

Regina grabbed his shoulders firmly, her voice dropping to her most authoritative tone. "This isn't a game, or a joke. This isn't the time for you to ignore what you're told and do what you want. Stay _put_, Henry. Do you understand? _No matter what_."

Henry swallowed hard. He nodded, unable to speak. Regina knew she was scaring him and she hated it, but she had been his mother long enough to know that you can't always prevent your child's pain. He had to understand how important this really was. When she was sure he was serious, she started to stand but he grabbed her hand. "Mom?" She lowered herself down again. "What's going to happen when this is over?"

Regina shook her head. "I don't know. But there'll be time to figure it all out later. Let's just get through this first, okay?"

"You promise I'll be safe here?" Henry asked.

"I promise. You just stay here until someone says it's safe. I'm going to leave the stairwell open so you don't feel trapped, but –"

"I have to stay put. I know. I will." They both smiled. Regina wrapped her arms tightly around Henry, allowing herself just a moment. Then she released him and headed up the stairs without another look back. She had to focus on Rumplestiltskin now if she had any hope of saving him. She left the stairway unblocked, as promised, but she couldn't help feeling uneasy as she opened the doors.

Outside was pitch black now. The moon was barely a sliver in the sky, providing almost no light. The lights around the distant graveyard were black. She opened her palm and a small flame appeared. She let it grow slowly, letting the magic ease into her hand, and the light grew stronger until she could see clearly. The clang of metal rang out somewhere in the forest, startling her. 'The first wave,' she thought with a smirk. She imagined James, battling bravely against the wretched beast. He would lose, of course, but Regina couldn't help hoping that he would survive. To see such a man fall really was a travesty. She sighed.

Regina waited on the steps of the mausoleum, fire in hand, for what seemed like an eternity. She was anxious to move, eager to face her enemy now that she could _finally_ see him for what he truly was. The battle was clearly being waged too far away for her to hear anything, but Regina knew the signal she was waiting for. She had to wait for the right time – when he was weak and vulnerable. Otherwise not only was Regina unlikely to succeed, but countless lives would be lost along with her own. Not particularly distressing for Regina, but she knew the heartache it would cause Henry, and that was enough. 'Above all else,' Regina silently vowed, 'Emma _will_ survive this.'

A long, echoing howl pierced the still night, sending a shower of birds into the sky. Regina felt a thrill of excitement and she was off, racing through the woods towards the direction of the howl. As she drew closer she heard a loud snarling, and eventually the cries of the others in the fray. Some of the voices were angry, some sounded almost bloodthirsty, but she also heard unmistakable cries of pain. She increased her pace, breathing heavily, straining her ears for the voices that really mattered.

At last the scene met her eyes. Rumple was of course at the centre of the chaos. He bellowed with rage, throwing off his attackers with powerful bursts of magic. He might seem formidable to those around him, but Regina knew that his anger only meant one thing: he was getting weak. James lay on the ground at the base of a nearby tree and Regina worried for a moment that he was unconscious, maybe even dead, but she saw him slowly force himself back onto his feet. She scanned the crowd, but there was no sign of Emma or Snow. 'Fine by me,' Regina thought. She slowed her pace, letting her breath steady, and she closed her hand to extinguish her torch. Once she reached the edge of the fray she shouted, "Rumplestiltskin!"

Several heads turned towards her voice and she saw several dwarves knocked flying, distracted from their task by her voice. She didn't have it in her to feel sorry. Red, undeterred by the cry and still as bloodthirsty as ever in full-on wolf form, continued her assault on Rumple. As she lunged, Regina realized her error and cursed herself: with so many people repeatedly attacking, Rumple had to divide his strength in order to keep them all at bay. Even dividing his magic left each blow with enough force to repel a human – but not a wolf. Red's size and strength meant Rumple would need all of his effort and focus to knock her away. Which he now had, thanks to Regina's distraction. She watched the huge wolf sail through the air and hit a tree with a sickening crack that Regina hoped was the tree splitting. Red let out a loud yelp before slumping to the ground, still and silent.

"Why thank you, Dearie," Rumple said, turning to face Regina. 'Minor hiccup, the plan is still working,' Regina assured herself.

Regina ignited her palm once more and thrust her hand towards Rumple, spraying him with the flame. He leapt aside nimbly, his grin back in place. Regina was careful to draw the flame back to her to avoid igniting anything. She hadn't really expected to hit him, but she wasn't in the mood for any more chitchat. Rumple flicked his hand, a motion so slight that Regina almost missed it, but she managed to duck just in time and a large, heavy branch sailed over her head. "A little rusty, Rumple?"

Another flick of his hand and a force struck Regina hard in the stomach, but she was ready for it; sacrificing her defense, she threw her magic out like a rope and felt it latch on to Rumple, pulling his feet out from under him. She recovered much faster from her blow than he did from the unexpected fall, and she reached her hand up, magically snapping several branches overhead and sending them showering down. One of them struck Rumple in the shoulder, but he managed to roll out of the path of serious injury. He was on his feet in a flash, his amusement gone. "Really, dear, I would have thought we were better than these childish games." He flexed his hand like a claw and Regina felt a vise tighten around her torso, squeezing the air from her lungs.

Her mind reeled, panic threatening. 'Forget struggling, strike back!' She reached deep down and let open the door to the beast's cage. She felt it barrel out, flexing, thrashing, eager to destroy. Summoning as much strength as she could, she channelled the magic outwards, reaching across the gap between her and Rumple, struggling not to let it go too far. She heard a cry of pain and rage as the spell struck Rumple and suddenly the pressure was released, and she gasped for air.

No time to recover, sucking in deep gulps of oxygen, Regina used what little breath she had to mutter a spell. The added force of the incantation should have given enough to the blow to send Rumple flying, but he was too quick with his defense and the spell merely made him stumble. "You'll have to be quicker than that!" He yelled, and suddenly Regina felt a searing pain travel through her veins. Her temples were throbbing and she could feel her control starting to slip. A spark leapt from her fingers, landing a few feet away from Rumple, and she saw a small flame ignite there. Rumple was oblivious, his focus on Regina now.

With the pain threatening to overwhelm her, Regina closed her eyes. She knew Rumple was advancing on her, but she forced herself to block him out. She cleared her mind, pushing aside the pain and even – for the briefest moment – the fury, and she saw Henry's face in her mind's eye. She saw the light in his eyes as he ran towards her, arms open, ready to embrace her. With a violent surge of power she was suddenly free of Rumple's spell. She quickly opened her eyes and found herself right behind him. She struck him hard in the back, a magical pulse adding strength to the blow, and he went flying. Rather than striking the nearest tree he took control of his trajectory and merely braced himself against the trunk with his feet, pushing off in an agile flip, landing lightly on the forest floor. Just as his feet touched the ground, he vanished.

Regina cursed loudly. She heard a rustling nearby and turned to see Emma emerging from the woods, breathing heavily. "I thought you said he couldn't leave the area?" Regina huffed, advancing angrily on Emma.

"We could only make the area so small. He can't have gone far. Are you alright?" Emma could see Regina clearly by her flashlight. Her skin was covered by a sheen of sweat and strands of hair were plastered to her forehead. Her eyes seemed impossibly dark against the pallor of her face.

Her battle with Rumple had left her magic weak and drained, and she was able to slam shut the beast's cage. Still, she could feel it gnawing restlessly on the bars. "Of course I'm alright. Where the hell were you?"

The noise of more footsteps approaching drew their attention before Emma could answer. Snow stepped out of the bushes, stopping when she saw Regina and Emma. Her head still pounding, Regina flung herself at Snow, a sudden surge of hatred dulling all sense. Emma quickly grabbed her and shoved her to the ground hard. Her head struck the dirt and she lay there for several seconds, feeling the blood surging through her. "What the hell are you doing?" Emma shouted angrily.

"Is everyone alright?" Snow asked calmly, as if nothing had happened. James appeared next to Regina, offering her a hand up, but she ignored it and slowly stood up on her own. She glared at Snow, who returned her gaze calmly. Regina clenched her fists so tightly she could feel her nails biting into the skin, and her whole body trembled with cold fury. "Either kill me now or pull yourself together. We still have work to do."

It was too much. With an angry cry Regina sank to the ground, crouched on the forest floor with her fists pressed tightly against her temples, shaking. She wanted desperately to claw, to rip, to strike Snow with all the rage and pain – oh gods, _the pain_ – that swelled in her decaying heart. Snow watched, feeling the all-too-familiar ache of guilt and sorrow and pity. Emma looked from one woman to the other, thoroughly confused. "What did you do to her?" She whispered to Snow.

Snow shook her head, but Regina spoke, her voice a low rasp. "She ripped his heart out. She thrust her hand into his chest and wrapped it around his beating heart. She CRUSHED IT INTO DUST!" She bellowed the words, a cloud of smoke putting her instantly on her feet, her hand around Snow's throat, just as she had done to Emma. Only this time it was more than just a demonstration of power.

James sprang into action before Emma could react. He grabbed Regina around the waist with one arm and with the other he grabbed her wrist to release her grip on Snow. Regina struggled, screaming and cursing. James bellowed in pain, although Emma couldn't tell what had happened to him, but he would not release his grip. They struggled for a very tense minute, until finally James managed to get his arm around Regina's throat. He squeezed hard, cutting off her air. Emma could see the hurt in James's eyes and knew that he was blinded by all the pain Regina had caused him and his family. She knew he wouldn't let go.

"Charming!" Snow shouted. James glanced up at her, tears in his eyes, and she put her hand gently on his arm. "Let her go," Snow whispered. James seemed on the verge of simply shaking his head, but Snow's words eventually sunk in and he released Regina. She fell to the ground on all fours, gasping and choking. Emma looked down at her pityingly.

For a while no one spoke. Regina's breathing eventually evened out and silence enveloped them. Emma shifted her weight back and forth, feeling awkward and out of place. Snow and James clung to each other, both seemingly content to simply wait, James now sporting a badly burned arm. Regina sat on the ground a little ways from the three of them, her head hung, hair obscuring her face.

It was Snow who broke the silence first, releasing James to stand in front of Regina. "If I had known what she was going to do, if I could go back and change everything...if I could bring him back…Regina, I would. I'm sorry."

"I. Hate. You." Regina whispered, her face still hidden.

"And you have every right. But if you care about Henry –"

"If?" Regina shouted. She was on her feet in a flash, her face mere centimeters from Snow's. Her eyes blazed and her cheeks were flushed. Blood was thundering through her veins and her hands were clenched in tight, shaking fists.

Emma and James both jerked forward, fearing a repeat of Regina's earlier attack, but Regina seemed to have at least regained some sense. Snow merely held up her hands to ward off the outburst. "You're so consumed by hatred I don't think you can love anything at all. But I know that those blackened pieces of your heart are still beating. And I think they beat for Henry. Let that be your motivation now. Help us, and together we can make this place safe for him."

Regina seemed on the verge of saying something, but finally she simply turned and stalked off, hands covered in blood from where her nails had pierced the skin. James slid his uninjured arm around Snow, who was staring after Regina with tears in her eyes. Emma shook her head. "I have to read that book," she whispered.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

**Finally, we're picking up, and believe me I'm gonna make your head spin. Enjoy ;) BTW, LOCISVU, yes, Regina was talking about what Cora did to Daniel last chapter.**

"Are you _sure_ you're alright?" Snow asked for what felt like the hundredth time.

"Snow," Red said, exasperated, "I'm fine! A few bruises are not that big a deal. Stop worrying about me."

"I don't think you should transform again tonight. It's too dangerous."

"I'm not abandoning my friends, Snow. I'm going back." She stared at Snow, her eyes filled with determination. Snow finally smiled, realizing that Red's willpower was too strong.

"Nothing too serious. Lots of cuts and bruises, two possible concussions, and one broken arm. Granny wrapped up James's burn. It could have been a lot worse," Emma said, settling down next to Red and Snow.

"He ran away. That's a good sign, right?" Red asked.

Emma shrugged. "Who knows? He might –" but her words were cut off.

"She's gone after Rumplestiltskin!" Grumpy yelled.

"What?" Emma was on her feet instantly. "Does she want to get herself killed?" Emma let out a growl of frustration. "Where is she?"

"Emma! Emma!" Emma turned towards the voice, high and urgent. She saw the Blue Fairy zooming towards her. "You have to return to the mausoleum. The enchantment is broken. Henry is unprotected!"

Emma shook her head in disbelief. "How?"

"I don't know," the Blue Fairy admitted. "It doesn't matter now. If Rumplestiltskin gets near the building he'll know the enchantment is gone. He'll be able to get inside. You have hurry!"

Without another word Emma was off, racing through the thick forest at lightning speed, silently willing her muscles to work harder, to move faster. Her legs threatened to give way underneath her, her muscles already exhausted from a long and trying day, but she would not allow them to give in. Her mind screamed at her body to _move_, to get to Henry _now_. Her foot caught on a root and she nearly went flying, but she threw her arms out for balance and just barely managed to regain her footing. Every second seemed to stretch out unbearably, and she felt as though the forest were growing around her, making her path longer and more treacherous. At last she saw the mausoleum rise into her view and she burst through the doors, gasping for breath. The stone coffin was already pushed aside and she felt her heart constrict.

"Henry!" She yelled, barreling down the steps into the tiny room, fear nearly choking her.

"Emma!" A voice shouted and suddenly she felt a tight grip around her waist. She collapsed to the ground, her hands around Henry, hugging him tight as a tidal wave of relief washed over her. "It's over? Is everyone alright?"

"It's not over yet, Henry. But you're not safe here anymore. You have to come with me."

"But," Henry said, backing away, "my mom said to stay here until someone says it's safe. She promised me I'd be safe here."

"I know, and you were. It's a long story, Henry, but you have to come with me right now." To her relief Henry nodded and took her hand.

"Where are we going?" He asked as she led him quickly up the steps and out into the cool night air.

"To join the others for now. We'll figure out what to do next once we have everyone together." Emma couldn't fight the fear that was rising inside her. How could she ever hope to keep Henry safe now? How could anywhere be safe from someone who could literally appear anywhere at any time? What safety could there be in numbers against an enemy who could fend off dozens of attackers with one sweeping hand gesture? She tightened her grip on Henry's hand and urged him to run as fast as his little legs would carry him. She wanted to just pick him up and run, but she knew the added weight would only make her own pace even slower than his.

As they made their way back through the woods Emma suddenly realized that she had lost sight of where they were heading. One minute everything seemed fine, and the next she didn't recognize anything she was seeing. She stopped, Henry nearly slamming into her, and looked around carefully. Just as she caught sight of the path they needed – she had simply missed a landmark and forgotten to veer left – there was a loud crack nearby and the forest around them was instantly bathed in light. Emma ducked, pulling Henry down with her, and she saw enormous flames leaping up, licking at the lowest branches of the surrounding trees. Her heart sank. 'Regina,' she thought.

"Henry, listen to me very carefully." She grabbed hold of his chin, forcing his eyes to meet hers. "I want you to go over to that tree and stay there. If the flames reach that tree over there," she pointed it out to him, "I want you to run. Run as fast as you can in the opposite direction. Find the road, and leave Storybrooke. Do you understand me? You _get out of Storybrooke_."

"But what am I supposed to do if I leave? Where am I supposed to go?" Emma could see he was panicking. His eyes were filling with tears and his breathing was becoming shallow.

She grabbed hold of his shoulders. "Kid, look at me. I find people. That's my job. If you leave Storybrooke, no matter where you go, I _will_ find you. All that matters is that you get away from this place, away from the magic. Do you understand me?"

Henry nodded. Emma gave him a quick hug, then waited while he settled himself next to the tree that marked the path Emma had been using to get to Snow. She hoped desperately that someone would come along and find him before the flames came too far. 'If he has to leave, I'll find him. He's a smart kid. He made it to Boston on his own; he can make it out of Storybrooke.' She tried to convince herself that he would be safe, but as she ran in the opposite direction she couldn't help feeling that a part of her was being torn out.

Emma had to veer a long way around the wall of flames before she finally found a break. She had to find Regina. Some large and treacherous part of her screamed 'Leave the bitch to die!' but she ignored it. 'You're the hero, remember?' was all the motivation she needed. She _was_ the fucking hero and she was damn well going to act like it. Besides, if sticking it to Rumple meant 'saving old Regina's arse from the fire' – yet another fire of his doing, no doubt – then so be it.

"Regina!" Emma called out, feeling the intense heat of the flames pressing in on her. She looked around, holding up her arm in an attempt to shield her eyes from the overpowering heat. Luckily the smoke was mostly carried off by the wind, but Emma knew it was just a matter of time before she would have to abandon her search or risk being trapped. "REGINA!"

She heard a faint noise. It was difficult to distinguish any sounds over the roar of the fire, but something caught her attention and she paused, straining to listen. Just as she was about to dismiss the sound and move on, she heard it again: a cough. She headed right, towards the sound, and she found Regina lying on the ground, dangerously close to the fire. Her eyes were half-closed and unfocused, and her face was red. Emma assumed it was from the heat of the fire, but as she knelt down to lift Regina up she felt the heat coming from Regina's skin.

"Emma," Regina whispered, her eyes struggling to focus.

"Regina, what happened? Have you been sick this whole time?" Emma struggled to pull Regina into a sitting position but she resisted, shaking her head. "Dammit, I'm trying to help you!"

"No, no. Henry…"

"Don't worry about Henry, I have to get you out."

"He's not safe!"

"I know. I took him somewhere safe. He's going to be fine. Come ON!" Once again she tried to lift Regina and once again she resisted.

She shook her head, the heat of the fire mingling with her own internal heat, threatening to engulf her. It was nearly impossible to think, to speak, but there was something…something…so hard to focus. Something important she had to tell Emma. "Don't," she muttered. She reached up, pulling Emma down closer to hear her straining voice over the sound of the fire. "Don't…"

"Don't what?" Emma yelled, watching the fire spread around them and knowing they were running out of time.

"Don't trust…"

But whatever Regina was about to say was lost as a loud crack rang out and a nearby branch fell, engulfed in the flames. Emma looked up to see Rumplestiltskin standing a short distance away, looking furiously at them. "Don't trust who?" Emma screamed at Regina, fear and desperation nearly choking her.

Regina shook her head. She lifted both her arms and pressed her hands to Emma's temples. Their eyes met, and Emma just barely heard Regina say, "Protect him," and suddenly she saw it. The truth in Regina's eyes at last. Her love for Henry, something Emma understood better than anyone. This broken, twisted, hateful woman wanted so desperately to love Henry that she fooled herself into thinking she actually did. Emma could see the lie time and time again, even if Regina didn't understand it. But here it was: truth. In choosing Henry, at long last, over her own selfish desires, Regina's heart finally swelled with true love for her son. Emma could see it shining in her eyes.

Gathering every last ounce of strength she had in her, Regina forced the last remnants of her magic into Emma, who cried out as agony flooded through her. She felt a crushing sensation and the world went black for a moment. Before she could even register what was happening, she was standing next to Henry, all of the horrible sensations gone. Looking out at the wall of flames, which had nearly reached the danger zone Emma had pointed out to Henry, she knew there was no going back. Without a word she scooped Henry into her arms and ran, heading away from the flames as fast as she could. As she felt Henry's arms around her, clinging to her, trusting her to keep him safe, she had to blink back tears to keep her vision clear. 'I'm sorry, Henry. I tried…but I couldn't be the hero this time.'

**:'(**


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

** EliCS - "Magic here is...unpredictable"**

Emma made her way back to town safely, unsure of where to go next. Her instincts told her to leave Storybrooke, but she knew that her family didn't have that luxury. Eventually she made her way to Granny's, hoping that the others would do the same. She would not allow herself to add 'if they survived' to the thought. When she arrived, the only person there – if you could call him that – was Jiminy.

"Where is everyone? Are they alright?" Emma advanced on the tiny cricket, Henry still in her arms.

"Queen Snow and King James were gathering everyone together when I left, getting ready to make their way back here. Their path was cut off by the fire, but Red managed to scout a way around it. They should be back soon. What exactly happened?"

"I don't know," she said, gently letting Henry down. "I just saw the flames come out of nowhere. The path back to Snow was blocked; we had no choice but to come back here. Did you guys see anything?"

"I'm afraid not. We were readying ourselves for another assault on Rumplestiltskin when the fire started. There were so many injured that it took everyone together to get them moving. I couldn't really be of any help there, so Queen Snow sent me here to wait for you. I can't tell you how relieved I am to see you and the boy unharmed."

Emma nodded, feeling ill. She glanced out the big front window and saw Snow, her face blackened by smoke but otherwise unharmed. James was right behind her, carrying one of the dwarves on his back. Slowly Emma could make out more and more faces, all coughing and looking disheveled but undeniably alive. Bringing up the rear was a monstrous black wolf, Granny marching proudly beside it. She could see Grumpy nearby casting nervous glances in their direction. Emma flew out into the street and raced towards Snow, who embraced her in a brief hug. "I knew you'd make it back," Snow said, but Emma could hear the residual fear in her voice. "Henry?" she asked.

Henry stood in front of the diner watching the procession. They made their way towards him and gathered in a rough circle in front of the diner, all looking around at each other as if to reassure themselves that they really were alive. Henry walked up to Emma, ignoring everyone, and he didn't need to say a word for Emma to know exactly what he was thinking. She lowered herself slowly to her knees, taking both of his hands in hers. He shook his head slightly, tears streaming silently down his cheeks, and Emma felt lost for words.

Everyone fell silent. It wasn't difficult to look around and see exactly who was missing. It wasn't difficult to figure out what had happened to her. Under any other circumstances the knowledge might have been cause for celebration, even if the threat of Rumplestiltskin still hung over them, but seeing the depth of Henry's sorrow filled them with their own form of grief. Emma felt her anger suddenly rise. She wanted to turn on them, to scream at them that they got exactly what they wanted; she wanted to argue, toshow them...– and suddenly her words returned. She _would_ show them. She looked into Henry's eyes, grief flooding her heart for him, along with immeasurable guilt for her own failure. She hadn't been the hero tonight, but that didn't mean Henry had to lose everything. "She saved my life, Henry. She used the last of her strength to send me back to you. There's more than one hero in your storybook."

Henry threw his arms around Emma, crying in earnest now. She lifted him up gently and held him as he sobbed. Everyone hung their heads in silence, but Emma knew it was only out of respect for her and Henry. No matter what her last act had been, when they finally made their way home – wherever home was for them now – they would celebrate the end of the Evil Queen. Except Snow. Emma saw her mother's eyes fill with genuine grief, and Emma knew that whatever guilt Snow carried for whatever had happened between her and Regina would never be assuaged.

* * *

"Snow?" Emma said softly. She was making progress – she could now refer to Snow as her mother in her thoughts – but using the title out loud was still too much. Snow looked up at her and with a gesture from Emma followed her out of the room. She had been sitting next to Henry's bed in the hospital, where everyone had decided to gather. Many of them needed medical attention for various injuries, including burns and some severe smoke inhalation, and it provided enough beds to allow everyone to sleep comfortably in the same place. Supposedly their spell should have trapped Rumple in the forest, killing him in the fire, but somehow no one really believed he was dead. Magic was unpredictable in this world, after all. Until they found proof of his death, no one was sleeping soundly.

"He was saying something about his book. Something about pages being torn out. I'm not really sure what he was talking about but he was pretty upset about it." Snow crossed her arms over her chest, restless in her worry.

"He tore out the last few pages of the book when I first got here. I don't know why he'd be upset about that, though…" Emma shook her head. Whatever the problem was would have to wait. She pulled Snow out of the open ward and into the narrow hallway, dropping her voice to a hush. "I talked to Regina in the woods. Sort of. She was sick or something, she had a fever. She told me not to trust someone."

"Someone? Who?"

"I dunno. Rumple showed up before she could tell me."

"Emma, maybe she was just delirious."

"Do you really wanna take that chance? If she's right we have a huge problem. Someone here can't be trusted and we have no idea who it is."

Snow sighed, shaking her head. "She was probably talking about me."

"What do you mean?"

"I betrayed her. I broke a promise and it cost her her true love. She was sick, in danger and probably delirious; I'm not surprised that was the last thing she thought about." Snow gazed past Emma, her eyes unfocused, guilt and sadness clearly visible in them.

"She said Henry wasn't safe. She was thinking clearly. Like I said, do you really want to take a chance?" Emma's brows slowly drew together in confusion. Snow put a hand on her arm, looking at her questioningly. "How did she know about Henry?"

"She probably felt the enchantment break. She knew what that would mean. Look, if you're right, we can't trust anyone here. We can't start turning on each other now!"

"We have to talk to Henry."

"What? Why?" Emma motioned frantically for Snow to lower her voice. "He needs to rest, Emma. Besides, we can't scare him with this."

"I'm not going to tell him anything. I just want to know if Regina said anything to him that might help us figure out what's going on, or if there's anything in the book that can narrow down our suspects."

"Emma! The boy just lost his mother and you want him to relive their last conversation together? You're going to traumatize him!"

"And how traumatized will he be when someone he trusts turns out to be a traitor and ends up getting everyone he loves killed?" Emma hissed, angry at being accused of insensitivity. She knew exactly what she was asking of Henry and she didn't need reminding.

Cheeks reddening slightly, Snow motioned for Emma to lead the way. She walked back into the ward, to the far side where Henry lay curled up, his book held tightly against his chest. Knowing what she planned to do was nearly enough to suck all of the strength out of Emma, but she knew it had to be done. She placed her hand on Henry's shoulder and gently shook him awake.

Groggy from his too-short sleep, Henry sat up, taking in his unfamiliar surroundings. Emma could almost see the exact moment when the events of the night struck him. "Henry," she whispered gently, sitting close to him so they could talk without being overheard. She was thankful that his bed was in the corner of the room. James was looking down at them, confused and concerned, but Snow just wrapped her arm around his, shaking her head. He nodded, acknowledging that he would get the full explanation later. "I'm so sorry, but I have to ask you some questions. It's really important. Can you help me?"

Henry seemed to perk up slightly at the thought of helping with something important. He clutched his book tightly, his expression serious. "Did you and Regina talk about anyone in that book?" Emma saw the question hit him, saw him flinch slightly as though he had been struck, but he quickly shook off the reaction. She marveled at his bravery.

"Lots of people," he whispered, sensing the need for discretion.

"Who, exactly?"

"Rumplestiltskin, Maleficent, Aurora…um…we talked about you and August, and…" Emma held up her hand to silence him, her brain working furiously.

Where had August disappeared to? She remembered him saying 'I'll be right back' at one point while Snow was addressing everyone at the diner, and she remembered him slipping discreetly out the door. But where had he gone? She hadn't seen him for days now and with all that had happened she'd completely forgotten about him. Was he alright? Had he left Storybrooke? He wasn't under the effects of the curse, so it certainly wasn't impossible. And given all the danger here, it wasn't particularly unlikely, either. "What did she say about August?"

"Just that he knew about the curse and that's why he could come into town."

Emma nodded, carefully considering his words. "Did she say anything about the book?"

Henry nodded, his fingers tightening as though he were afraid someone was about to rip his prized possession out of his grasp. "She said either it was written after we arrived in Storybrooke or somebody changed it. There's some information in here about the curse that wasn't true until after it was cast."

Someone changed the book. Someone who still had their memories after the curse was cast. And if it wasn't Regina, there was only one other person who could have done it. Someone who had already altered the book and admitted to it. "Thank you, Henry. Keep this safe for us, okay?"

"Emma?" Henry said as Emma rose from the bed. She looked down at him. "I tore out some pages from the book." His voice was soft and his eyes downcast.

"I know. To protect them from Regina."

Henry shook his head. "I mean besides those ones. I wanted…to give them to my mom. That's the other reason I went to her house."

"I'll find them for you. As soon as I can. I promise." Henry just curled up on the bed again, cuddling his book. James pulled the blanket up over him, then followed Snow and Emma out of the ward. He motioned to Ruby to keep an eye on Henry and she nodded as she watched them leave.

"What's going on?" James asked in a hushed voice as soon as they were clear of the ward.

"I think August is a traitor," Emma said quickly. Snow seemed to have come to this conclusion as well. She quickly recounted what Emma had told her about Regina.

James put his hand on his sword, thankful for the feel of it against his palm once more. "Then I'm going after him."

"I'm coming with you," Emma said at once. Snow merely sighed, knowing all too well that she wasn't going to talk either one of them out of their decision.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

**To all of you mourning the loss of Regina, rest assured her story is not complete. That's not to say she'll be rising from the dead, but we definitely have more story to see. I'm positive you'll all be satisfied by the time this fic is complete ;) Thanks so much for all your reviews, they make me want to keep writing forever!**

"I don't understand. What exactly do you think August did? And why would he betray us?" James wasn't eager to accuse a man of a crime without having all the facts.

"Regina made it very clear that there's someone here we can't trust. I don't know what he did, or if he's even done anything at all yet, but the last thing we need around here is a traitor. We find him, we lock him up until we can figure out how to deal with Rumplestiltskin, and we worry about the rest later."

"And what if he's innocent?"

"Then he'll just have to understand. We don't have time for trials and investigations; we need to do whatever we can to keep this town safe. If we're wrong I'll be the first one to apologize." Emma was walking fast, urged forward equally by the need to act and the fear of being in the open, deserted streets for too long. She knew it wasn't rational, but she didn't believe for one damn second that Rumple died in that fire.

"So where are we going?" James asked. He had no idea where to even begin looking for August.

"Regina's house," Emma replied.

James opened his mouth to ask why, then decided against it. This was Emma's domain and he wasn't going to question her methods. Still, he couldn't help suspecting that her emotions may be clouding her judgement slightly.

It didn't take them long to arrive at Regina's house, nearly jogging by then. Emma led the way up the path and into the cavernous foyer, where she finally paused to take in her surroundings. "What are we looking for?" James asked.

"I'm not sure." It was partially true. Emma wasn't sure there was anything relevant in this house, but there was something here that she wanted and it was as good a place as any to begin her search for August. After all, he'd obviously come into contact with Regina somehow or else she wouldn't have known he was untrustworthy. So she headed into Regina's study, James close behind with his sword drawn at his side.

They searched the whole main floor and found nothing of use. Nothing was even out of place; Regina had a real affinity for order. Moving upstairs Emma glanced quickly into Henry's old room, which had been left closed, and saw a thin layer of dust had settled over everything. Except one spot on his bedside table, where something had been removed. Emma wracked her brain, trying to figure out if this was of any importance. Then it hit her: his light. The one he had been trying to retrieve the night he returned to the house. Where had it gone? Had Regina thrown it out? She made a mental note to ask Henry, then quickly dismissed the idea, not wanting to admit to him that the light was probably lost. It wasn't really important for their current mission anyway. She backed out of the room, shaking her head to James, and carefully closed the door.

The next room they came across was Regina's. Emma had never set foot in it, but she knew it wasn't a guest room. She couldn't help the look of shock that crossed her face; the room was completely destroyed. It looked like a bomb had gone off. Every pieces of furniture was at least cracked, if not blown to pieces. Bits of wood and glass and even shredded clothing were strewn everywhere. "Do you think August came here looking for something?" James asked, looking around at the destruction.

Emma knelt down and picked up a thin piece of wood, probably from the dresser. She turned it over in her hand, inspecting it closely. It was charred, as though it had been used for firewood and rescued from the flames just before being completely consumed. Emma turned to hand the piece to James, but before she could reach out to him she saw someone in the doorway and she sprang to her feet. James whirled and in less time than it took Emma to blink, the intruder was pinned against the wall, a sword at his throat. "Whoa! Relax, it's just me."

August's smile faltered as Emma glared at him. "What are you doing here?"

"I went to the diner to find you but it was empty. I was worried about everyone, but I didn't know where to look. I've been running around town trying to find some sign, and I finally caught a glimpse of movement in here. I thought it was probably Regina so I hid and watched and I finally saw you in the window. I came up here to find out what's going on. Is everyone alright?"

Emma stared at him hard. He tried to recoil but there was nowhere for him to go, and James kept the blade tight to his skin. "Did you have anything to do with Regina's death?"

"Regina? She's dead?" Emma nodded, keeping her eyes locked on his. "I haven't seen Regina since before the curse broke. Emma, I don't understand, what's going on?"

"Did you say anything to Rumplestiltskin that might have put anyone in danger?" She asked, ignoring his question and his discomfort.

"Of course not!"

Before he could question her again, she asked, "Did you know where Henry was hiding the night of the fire? Did you have anything to do with the enchantment breaking?"

"Emma, you have to believe me, I don't even know what you're talking about!"

"Let him go," Emma said. James looked at her, confused. "He's telling the truth. Let him go."

"Emma, his nose might not grow here like it did in the Enchanted Forest. We can't just take his word." He said it so seriously that Emma nearly burst out laughing. She was relieved to see that she was still somewhat aware of the ridiculousness of her situation.

"I'm not talking about his nose. I know when people are lying, and August is telling the truth." Emma felt slightly uncomfortable talking about her ability, now that she was ready to admit it was more than just good instincts. James hesitated, but eventually decided he trusted Emma, even if he didn't understand exactly how she knew any of this.

"If August isn't the traitor we need to find out who is, and fast," James said.

"Traitor?" August asked, rubbing his neck where he had felt the cold steel.

"Regina tried to warn me not to trust someone here, but Rumplestiltskin showed up before she could tell me who. Henry was with her yesterday and she told him that his book was either written after the curse was cast, or changed after it was cast, because some of the information in it was only true _after_ they arrived in Storybrooke."

"And you suspected me because I already altered the book once before." August nodded, accepting their suspicion graciously.

"That and you're the only person besides Regina who retained their memories after the curse was broken."

"That we know of," James said gravely. They all exchanged looks. He was right; anyone could have faked the amnesia. Unfortunately that put them back at square one.

"If you know when people are lying, can't you just interrogate everyone?" August asked.

"We have no idea who it is or what their motives are. We're not even sure what exactly they did to betray us, although there's a long list of possibilities. If we let them know we're onto them who knows what they might do? We need to be careful." James looked around the room, wondering where to look now that they had no suspects.

Emma remembered what she'd been doing before August appeared and quickly handed the charred wood to James. "It looks like it was burned."

"You think that has something to do with the fire?" August asked.

"Maybe whoever set it came here first," Emma suggested.

James shook his head, examining the wood. "Why would they destroy the place? I could maybe understand someone tearing it apart looking for something, but it's completely destroyed. And why is it only this room? Everywhere else is pristine."

"What are you thinking?" Emma asked.

"I think Regina set that fire," he said, lowering his voice instinctively.

"What? Are you out of your mind? She _died_ in that fire!"

James looked at Emma, his eyes full of pity. Emma wanted to slap him for it. "That doesn't mean she didn't set it. Look around you. These pieces of wood are burnt, but nothing else is. That window pane is cracked, but there's no central point of impact. The bed is cracked clean in half. This wasn't done by someone with a bat and a lighter; it was done with magic."

"Regina lost it and trashed her own room," August said. James nodded.

"Why would she set the forest on fire?" August looked at Emma as though she were being naïve and she felt her jaw tighten. "There are easier ways to commit suicide," she said through clenched teeth.

"It doesn't matter now. Even if Regina did set the fire, she still saved your life. She might still have been right about the traitor, and we can't take the risk that she wasn't. Let's finish searching and then we can decide what to do next." James began picking through the debris for possible clues and August joined him.

While they searched, Emma slipped out of the room and headed to Regina's upstairs office. As she expected, it was immaculate. It didn't take her long to find what she was looking for. Lying on the mantel over the fireplace were several large pieces of paper, all of them with one jaggedly torn edge. She grabbed them and carefully slipped them inside her jacket, then resumed the search with James and August. Eventually they all conceded defeat and left the house together.

"So tell me," James said as they headed back into the street, "where were you all this time?"

"I was trying to find Rumplestiltskin's dagger. I thought if I could just get my hands on it I could stop all of this, but obviously he knew someone would come looking for it and he wasn't about to just leave it lying around. When I was in his shop I found a drawer that was sealed with magic. I'm not sure that's where he hid the dagger, but it had to be something important. There was this symbol on it and it looked really familiar, but I couldn't quite place it, so I went back to the diner."

"I don't remember seeing you come back," Emma said.

"You were gone to confront Regina. Anyway, I asked Henry to let me take a look at his book. It didn't take me long to find the symbol I was looking for. It was in an illustration of the Evil Queen. I asked Henry about it and he told me about the mausoleum, so I went there to check it out. I searched for a while but I couldn't get inside the building."

"It was protected by an enchantment. No one could get in without Regina's permission," Emma explained.

August nodded. "I knew I'd seen the symbol before and it was driving me crazy. I hopped on my bike to clear my head and suddenly I remembered: I saw it when I was a kid. The guy who found us and called the police to come get us had a chain around his neck with a pendant that looked just like that."

"Impressive memory," Emma said with a smile.

"I headed out to the diner, trying to find the guy or at least someone who knew him, but no luck. So I came back here to tell you what I found, but when I got here the forest was on fire and I couldn't get into town."

"The fire stretched that far?" Emma said, stunned.

"I saw a tree that fell down across the main road. It probably carried the fire to the other side. I didn't know what to do, and I didn't have a phone, so I went back to the diner. I called the fire department but by the time we got back to Storybrooke the fire was out. They gave me a huge lecture about giving a false report – something about a raging forest fire not just putting itself out in less than half an hour – and they left. I went to Granny's but you were all gone, so I went into the B&B for the night. And you know everything that happened after that. How did you guys put the fire out so fast, anyway?"

"We have no idea. We all gathered at the hospital, on the other side of town, and we didn't go back to the forest until the morning."

"Wait a second," Emma said. "The fire was already out when you came back? That couldn't have been very late, probably not long after we all got out."

"So?" August asked.

"So who put the fire out?"

**Place your bets now, folks ;) I can't wait to hear your theories! I am enjoying this way too much :D  
**


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

"Well I'm relieved to hear you aren't a traitor," Snow said when they had finished filling her in on their trip to Regina's. August smiled. "But that still leaves us with a big question mark."

"And a big problem. Do _you_ have any idea how the fire was put out?" Emma asked.

Snow shook her head. "I didn't even know it was out until morning."

"From what August says it was probably out by the time we got here. Rumplestiltskin could have easily avoided the flames for that long. It had to be whoever Regina was talking about. If someone here was capable of putting out the fire, why not do it right away?"

"Maybe it was Rumplestiltskin? We suspected he set the fire; I don't see why he couldn't have put it out."

"We have a theory," James said, glancing at Emma. Snow's eyes flicked back and forth between them. "I think Regina set the fire. If she lost control she might have ignited the trees by accident, and if she was sick and weak she wouldn't have had the strength to put it out." As if to emphasize his point his hand settled on his own bandaged burn.

Snow considered his words for a moment, then nodded slowly. "That's possible. But that still doesn't rule out the possibility that Rumple put out the fire."

"You still don't believe Regina, do you?" Emma felt frustrated.

"We're all scared, confused, injured, and on edge. Now is not the time to be questioning our friends. We don't even know what this 'traitor' did to betray us!"

"It's never a good time to question your friends, but ignoring the problem is only going to get us all hurt. Maybe you're right, maybe Regina was lying, or delirious, but we have to figure out the truth fast." Emma nodded, feeling immense gratitude towards August.

Snow let out a heavy sigh. "I know. I just…I can't imagine anyone here would betray us. I mean, what motive could they possibly have?"

"Killing Regina," James said calmly, and they all fell silent. Emma could tell from his expression that he'd been considering this theory for quite some time but was reluctant to voice it. He continued, looking directly at Snow now. "Everyone here is angry at her. You saw how many were willing to tie her up and execute her. Maybe someone was unhappy with our alliance and decided to take justice into their own hands."

"But how could they know that she'd be the only one to die?" August asked.

"Maybe they didn't. Maybe that was just luck." James words hung heavy between them. The idea that someone was so intent on revenge that they might risk the lives of everyone…it was unthinkable.

"Has anyone seen Jefferson since the curse broke?" Emma asked slowly. His was the only story in Henry's book she had actually read and he seemed to have even more reason to hate Regina than most. Not only that, but he was the only person in town who wasn't at the diner after the fire; the only person who didn't appear to face Henry's grief.

"I haven't seen him since the night he kidnapped us," Snow said. "I've been thinking about that, and I think he disappeared into his hat when he fell. You must have had enough magic in you to make it work."

"But he knows how to use the hat. He could have easily come back through it," Emma pointed out.

"Okay," Snow said, playing devil's advocate. "So where has he been since then? Why hasn't anyone seen him? And why didn't he have his hat with him?"

"The Blue Fairy said Jefferson was in hiding," James reminded them. "And that the hat was in Regina's possession."

Emma's jaw dropped. After a brief look of confusion, Snow's eyes widened. They looked at each other, identical horror filling them. August and James stared, bewildered.

* * *

"Come on, Henry! Hurry up or you're going to be late!"

"I can't find my cleats!"

Regina sighed. "They're under your bed!"

She heard more shuffling upstairs, a short pause, and then the unmistakable sound of Henry's filthy cleats thundering down her pristine white steps. She shook her head, draining the last of her coffee. "Found 'em! How'd you know where they were?"

"Magic," she said. Henry giggled and Regina couldn't help smiling – even if she did have to clean the stairs later. "Now come on, get in the car. I have to get back to work in half an hour."

"You're not going to stay and watch?" Henry looked up at her with his best sad puppy eyes as he watched Regina lock the front door.

"Not today," she said, having built up an immunity to his tactics. "It's only a practice, and you can tell me all about it at dinner."

"But you're coming to the game next week, right? You promised," Henry reminded her. Regina opened the car door and waited for him to get his seat belt fastened before closing the door and walking around to the driver's seat.

"Since when do I break my promises? Of course I'll be there."

"You missed my last game," he pointed out.

"Ah, but I never _promised_ I'd go to that one, did I?" Henry smiled. "You know I was busy planning your birthday party. Now that your birthday is over I'm a free woman. I'll be there, Henry."

Satisfied, Henry spent the rest of the car ride chatting animatedly about his party. How much fun it was, how cool his presents were, how delicious his cake was ("Can you make another one?" "Of course. Next year."), and how he couldn't wait to see all his friends again at soccer practice. Regina listened intently, nodding along with his enthusiasm and tossing in the odd comment that made him laugh. Making him giggle hysterically made Regina feel more successful than anything else she accomplished all day.

They pulled into the parking lot with only minutes to spare. Henry had his seatbelt off and was racing around to meet her before Regina even pulled her keys out of the ignition. She climbed out of the car, tickling Henry, causing him to run off with a shriek and a laugh. He circled back, careful not to get too close, walking backwards and still talking rapidly. Regina scanned his path carefully, knowing he wasn't paying attention to where he was going. She didn't have the heart to scold him while he was so happy.

Soccer had been a stroke of genius. Ever since starting school Henry had been shy and withdrawn. His teachers had told Regina repeatedly that he had difficulty making friends and didn't seem interested in playing with the other children. They assured her time and time again that he was a normal, very bright child who just needed help coming out of his shell. It took a bit of experimenting and a lot of coaxing, but eventually Regina convinced Henry to sign up for soccer. He'd been nervous at first, reluctant to really participate, but after a little intervention on Regina's part – she made the dwarf Happy a coach for Henry's team – he flourished. In the past three months he had gone from being timid and reserved to being fun-loving, outgoing, and energetic. Not to mention he could talk your ear off about all the things he was learning from his coach.

When they arrived at the field Regina spotted Henry's coach at the far end. There were two practices happening side-by-side, as usual. One was for Henry's team, children 5 and 6, which was mainly focused on teaching kids the basics of the game and giving them a little taste of friendly competition without any actual score-keeping. Next to them were the 7 and 8 year olds, who played a slightly more competitive game and focused more on improving their understanding of the rules. As Regina walked past the group, Henry now at her side, the coach – a former peasant of the Enchanted Forest she had never met, now called Max Simon – stepped in front of her. "Madam Mayor! Beautiful day for a game, don't you think? Just dropping Henry off or are will you be staying to watch?"

Regina shook her head. "I'm sorry, there seems to be some confusion. Henry isn't on your team, Mr. Simon, he's on Mr. Seely's team. Excuse us, we're running late."

But Max didn't move. He glanced down at Henry, his brow furrowed. "I'm sorry, Mayor Mills. I'm confused. Henry is 7 years old, which means he belongs on this team."

"Henry only just turned 7, he'd like to continue on Mr. Seely's team with his friends." Regina watched as the familiar, glazed look came over Max's eyes. She knew it was the curse, protecting his memories from some inconsistency.

He recovered slowly, blinking. He looked down at Henry, disoriented for a moment, then smiled. "Henry, m'boy, ready to play?"

Henry looked up at Regina, an expression of confusion, sadness, and a hint of fear on his face. Regina crouched down to be at his eye level. "Go on, Henry. It's alright, Mr. Simon's going to take good care of you. You're ready to play with the big kids now."

"I want to play with my friends!"

"You'll make new friends in no time. I promise." She smiled reassuringly.

"But why? Why can't I play with my friends? I don't want to be on Mr. Simon's team! I want to be with my friends!" Henry looked on the verge of tears and Regina felt a twinge of panic.

"Your friends are too young to play on this team, sweetheart," she said gently.

And then she saw it. That same glassy-eyed expression stole over Henry's gaze. Regina felt sick and horrified as she watched Henry stare out at the field full of his new teammates, his tears drying before they could even fall. "Mommy?" He finally said, turning his gaze back to Regina.

"Yes Henry?" She felt on the verge of tears herself.

"I don't really like soccer. Can we please just go home?" Regina could hear those exact same words echoing in her memory. He had spoken them months ago when she first brought him to the field. She had pushed him to try it, knowing how important it was for him to at least try. Now, seeing the loss in his eyes, his memories changed by the curse but their effects forever lingering, she nodded. She took Henry by the hand and led him slowly back to the car. There was no animated conversation on this trip. There was no laughter. He simply stared out the window watching the scenery pass by, and Regina was too heartbroken to speak.

Regina tucked Henry into bed a little early that night. He had spent the entire day sulking, and he didn't protest the early bedtime. Carefully questioning him, Regina discovered that he had no memory of ever playing soccer except the occasional game during gym class. Worse still, he had no memory of any of his friends. When she asked him what was wrong, he had no answer for her except that he just felt sad. So Regina put an end to his miserable day as early as possible, called over the sheriff to watch him, and left the house. She was fuming.

"Terribly sorry but I was just about to close shop. You're welcome to come back-"

"Rumplestiltskin!" Regina shouted. He gave a small shudder and opened his mouth to speak, but Regina was across the shop before he could get the words out. She wrapped her hand around his throat and slammed him back against the wall. "Listen to me, you mad fuck, you may have been all powerful in the Enchanted Forest but we're here on Earth now. Power isn't about spells and potions here. And right now it isn't even about position. Do you know what gives me the power here? _Strength_." She squeezed harder, making Gold's eyes widen. "Start spitting out truth or I swear to the gods I will squeeze the life right out of you."

Gold gasped, struggling for air. "Let…go…" he gasped. Regina's jaw clenched. "Please."

Regina released him instantly, dropping him to the floor. He gasped, rubbing his neck. Unable to stand, his cane discarded behind Regina, he leaned back against the wall and stretched his legs in front of him, looking up at Regina with an expression of – 'Fuck him,' she thought – amusement. "Well," he said between breaths, "that was interesting."

"You didn't think I would come after you when I realized what you did?" Regina scoffed.

"Actually, I meant it's interesting you still pray to our gods instead of the single Earth deity most common in this area. You should be more careful about those slip-ups. But yes, that little display of power _was_ interesting. I'm afraid I have to ask that you please not repeat it." Regina rolled her eyes. "Now then, whatever have I done to so upset you? Please, sit. Let's talk."

"I'm not actually bound by that deal, you know. There's no magic here to enforce it. I could simply disobey."

"True, very true. But I think we both know you won't do that. I think I've made it quite clear that there are certain, shall we say, _nuances_ of the curse that aren't quite as simple to navigate as you first expected. Are you really willing to risk navigating them yourself?" He smiled. Regina sat down across from him. "Ah, much better. What can I do for you, Your Majesty?"

"You lied to me about Henry," Regina spat.

"I'm not sure what you mean," he said, feigning an expression of deep concern.

"You told me if I brought a child here he would be free from the curse. You told me Henry wouldn't be affected."

"I don't see any other children celebrating birthday parties or shooting up like weeds around here. Do you, Madam Mayor?"

"He lost his memory today. All his memories of playing soccer, making friends, they're all gone. What the hell was that if it wasn't the curse?"

"Oh, no, that was most certainly the curse." Regina growled in frustration, making Rumple's grin widen. "Tell me, Your Majesty – what exactly did you expect? Henry is a child, growing rapidly, surrounded every day by children who will never grow any older. Maybe as a toddler you could brush it off, but how exactly did you plan on explaining to a teenager why his friends are still in elementary school?"

"I asked you that before I adopted him," Regina said through gritted teeth.

"And do you recall my answer?" _'The curse prevents anyone who enters the town from noticing anomalies such as people not aging, or having no concrete concept of time.'_ Regina nodded. "So? Has Henry noticed anything strange?"

"He lost his memory!"

"What did you think would keep him from noticing his friends weren't aging?" Regina glared at Rumple, wanting desperately to strike him. What she wouldn't give for a spark of magic. Rumple sighed dramatically. "Your boy isn't cursed. But he is living in a cursed town. Certain sacrifices must be made."

"You brought a child into this town _knowing_ he would suffer," Regina hissed.

"No, Your Majesty, _you_ brought a child into this town. I merely carried out your request. Or rather, my alter ego carried out your request. And as for his suffering, well, it's every parent's job to provide for their children. If your boy has lost his happy memories, you'll just have to provide new ones."

Regina shook her head, unable to believe what she was hearing. "He'll go through this again. Every year. He'll have to start all over again. Every. Single. Year."

"Ah, well now that, dearie, is on you."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

**Updated the story summary: 'My very own season 2. Magic has returned to Storybrooke, and Regina seizes her opportunity for revenge. But plans go awry as an unexpected enemy surfaces, leaving the townspeople reeling in the wake of a tragic loss.' Well we know they're not mourning Regina. Uh-uh O.O Prepare yourselves.  
Second half of this chapter goes back to the night of the fire, after Regina left to confront Rumple.  
**

"Henry?" Emma whispered, not wanting to wake anyone else who might be trying to sleep. She gently shook Henry's shoulder. He rolled over, looking up at Emma with his book resting on his chest. She reached into her jacket and pulled out the pages she had recovered from Regina's house. "I thought you might want these."

Henry quickly sat up, his eyes lighting up. "You found them!" He said, too excited to keep his voice down. "Did you read them?" He asked, lowering his voice again.

Emma's smile faltered. "There wasn't really time for that. I will one day, I promise. We have a lot to deal with right now."

Henry looked disappointed. He began flipping through the pages silently and Emma couldn't help feeling as though she had failed somehow. Again. Just as Emma was about to tell Henry she had to leave, he said, "There's a page missing."

'Oh, for cryin' out loud,' Emma thought, unable to completely suppress her exasperation. "Are you sure? I checked the whole house and those were the only pages I found."

Henry looked up at her, an expression of deep concentration on his face. He began flipping through the pages again and Emma couldn't help being curious. Now she wished she _had_ read them. Why were they so important? And why was he so concerned that one was still missing? "She must have kept it," he said, his voice so low that Emma almost didn't hear him. The depth of sadness in his voice made her chest ache.

"What do you mean?" Emma asked softly.

But Henry shook his head and simply slipped the pages back into his book. "Are you going after Rumplestiltskin again?" He asked, abruptly ending their previous conversation. Emma decided not to push him.

"We're just gathering some information right now. Operation Cobra 2.0," she said with a smile. Henry returned it half-heartedly. "I have to go out for a little while, but I'll be back soon. Maybe then we can read some of your stories together. Sound good?" Henry nodded. Emma kissed him on the forehead before returning to the hallway where James and August were looking impatient and Snow was looking worried and deeply upset.

"I want you to stay here," Emma told James.

"It's not safe out there!" James protested.

"It's not safe in here. I need someone I trust here to look after Henry."

"I don't understand. Who does he need protection _from_?" James was losing his patience.

"Just keep everyone away from him. And I mean _everyone_. I don't want you acting suspicious, not until we come up with a plan. No one's going to question you staying with him. If anyone asks, just tell them that we went out to see…to see if we can find Rumple's body. And tell them that Henry needs his rest."

Snow couldn't help the nagging worry in the pit of her stomach. Every fibre of her being told her to get Henry out, to hide him, but she knew it was no use. There was nowhere to hide now, not from magic. All she could do was trust James and pray to the gods that no harm would come to him. Or to James. "We shouldn't be gone long," she assured him.

"If Henry wakes up tell him to pretend he's asleep. Tell him we need his help for Operation Cobra 2.0. It'll cheer him up." James nodded. He gave Snow a tight hug, then Emma, and finally shook August's hand in both of his. The two men exchanged a meaningful look, and Emma had to fight to keep from rolling her eyes at the painfully obvious 'keep my family safe' in James's eyes. August nodded, message received, and this time Emma did roll her eyes. Thankfully nobody noticed.

August managed to contain himself as they made their way through the hospital corridors, but as they stepped outside and onto the street he burst. "What's going on? Do you really think Jefferson set the fire? Where are we going, anyway?"

"We're going to the Mills Mausoleum," Emma replied.

"You said that symbol in Gold's shop matched the mausoleum, right?" August nodded. "You couldn't get in that night because you didn't have permission to enter. But the spell's broken now, so we're going to see if we can find any clues. Finding that dagger might be our last chance."

"But what about the traitor?" August was only growing more confused and his frustration was rising.

"Two birds, one stone," Emma said with a wink. August let out an exasperated sigh and Emma laughed. She couldn't help teasing him; she needed the release.

"Just explain it to the poor man before he explodes," Snow said. Emma chuckled. She glanced over at Snow, expecting to see her at least slightly amused by their exchange, but she was gazing straight ahead with an expression of…guilt?

Emma stopped, grabbing hold of Snow's arm and forcing her to turn so they were facing each other. The guilt was clear now, and it only intensified as Snow looked into her daughter's eyes. Emma shook her head, confused. "I'm sorry," Snow said, her voice thick with threatening tears. "It's all my fault."

"What are you talking about? None of this is your fault. You couldn't have known any of this was going to happen."

Snow broke their eye contact, lowering her head, feeling shame wash over her. "I was talking about Regina." She lifted her head again slowly and Emma saw a tear slide down her cheek, but her expression was calm now.

"Look, whatever happened between you two had nothing to do with what happened last night. Maybe Regina did lose control, and maybe she did set that fire, but that's not your fault."

"She was sick." Emma's eyes flicked down and then back to Snow, her expression questioning. "I knew she was sick before she took Henry. I could feel the heat from her fever when I talked to her. I just…didn't want to think about it. We needed her. I didn't want to accept that she might not be strong enough to help us."

"You still didn't know what would happen. Regina never would have admitted to being sick anyway. She would have gone after Rumplestiltskin no matter what you said to her," August reassured Snow. But her eyes were locked with Emma's now, neither of them acknowledging his words.

"You knew she was sick," Emma said slowly. "You knew and you didn't say anything. Didn't even tell me. Didn't warn me."

"Emma, I'm sorry. I-"

"Let's go. We don't have time for this." Snow called after her, but Emma continued on towards the ruined forest. She wasn't sure what to think, what to feel. She knew Regina's death wasn't Snow's fault. August's words were true. But as Emma's vision filled with the image of Regina's eyes, pleading with Emma to protect her son, flooding with love that she had – for far too long – been unable to truly feel…it was too much. The betrayals kept piling up, one after another, and Emma felt a crushing sensation. Not for herself, but for the woman who had sacrificed everything to save her. Regina never had a chance, and Emma was unprepared for the deep, echoing chasm of sorrow that this realization opened inside her. No, Regina's death wasn't Snow's fault, but Emma just couldn't find it within herself to offer her mother words of forgiveness.

* * *

Regina stalked through the woods, thankful for the thick vegetation that provided an excuse to stomp and thrash. As her adrenaline abated she could feel the stinging in her palms and once again her weakness infuriated her. 'Fuck Snow and her apologies,' Regina thought. But her anger was no more than a shallow swill. What she felt more than anything was exhaustion. Her drive was quickly disappearing, and the only thing propelling her forward – her desire to wipe that damned grin off of Rumple's face – was disappearing just as fast. Her pace slowed, her muscles succumbing to fatigue at last. Her body, no longer silenced by the crushing weight of her overwhelming emotions, began to cry out. Dizziness set in and Regina was forced to the ground, unable to take another step forward. Finally alone, she let everything in her relax, her body and her mind. Tears began to flow, burning salty tracks into her cheeks, but she didn't care anymore. She leaned back against the trunk of the nearest tree and let herself go numb, let the tears fall because she was too tired to hold up the dam any longer.

"Regina! There you are, we've been looking all over for you. What are you doing? It's not safe here!"

"I don't care," Regina groaned, her eyes closed.

"We're readying another attack. We need you there! You're the only one with enough power to defeat Rumplestiltskin."

"You seem awfully convinced about that," Regina said, opening her eyes slowly. "The whole of the Enchanted Forest is here and you're telling me there's not a single other person with enough magical knowledge to do some damage? That sounds pretty far-fetched to me, especially coming from you."

"You're the only one whose power matches his."

"Stroking my ego? Maybe _you_ should have been the politician here. Don't give me that crap. I wanted to be the one to go after him so I never questioned it before, but you know what? I'm _not_ the only person around here who can defeat Rumplestiltskin and I don't give a damn anymore. You and your friends can handle things just fine from here. I've given you every bit of strength I had left and now I'm done. So get lost."

There was a brief, hesitant pause. "You're the only one here who knows how to use black magic. We can't defeat Rumplestiltskin without it."

Regina sputtered a laugh, her regal mask gone. "You really think I buy that crap about dark versus light magic? It all comes from the same place, dear." She snapped her fingers and a small blue flame ignited on her fingertips, bathing them in soft light. She snapped them again and the flame turned black, providing an eerie glow. "It's all in the wrist."

"Is there nothing I can say to change your mind?"

Regina relit the blue flame and looked up now, her sense finally kicking in. "Why are you so desperate for me to go after him?"

"I told you, we need your help to defeat him."

"And I told _you_, no you don't." A slow smile spread across Regina's face. "You just don't want to sacrifice any _innocent_ lives. You figure if I fail, or if he brings me down with him, no one will care. Ding dong the witch is dead, is that it?" She scoffed. "Well forget it. No one is burning me at the stake tonight."

"Henry isn't safe."

"See, now you're just getting pathetic. My ego doesn't work so you're playing on my fear? Try a new angle, then, because Henry is perfectly safe."

"The spell on the mausoleum is broken. He's unprotected now."

Regina laughed again. "Wow, you really are determined! But seriously, you need to quit. The enchantment is perfectly intact."

"Are you sure about that? After all, Your Majesty, magic here is…unpredictable."


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Snow and August eventually caught up to Emma but no one spoke. They made their way through town feeling sullen, none of them eager to lay eyes on the destruction. As she walked Emma thought of her words to James, their excuse of looking for Rumple's body, and she felt her stomach clench. His body would not be among the ashes, she knew. But Regina's would. It would be nowhere near the mausoleum, Emma assured herself, but she couldn't help the rising tide of nausea.

It was Emma who eventually broke the silence. "What did you do to her?" Her voice came out harsher than she intended, and she tried to soften her expression to make up for it.

To Emma's surprised, Snow didn't protest. "She saved my life after my horse went wild. My father was so grateful that he proposed to her, and she was forced to accept it. I caught her that night in the stable, kissing another man. I was upset that she didn't want to marry my father, but she explained to me that even though my father was a good man, she didn't love him. Daniel was her true love. She was going to run away with him so they could be married." Emma drank in Snow's words, trying and failing to imagine a young, love-struck Regina. "She made me promise not to tell anyone, but I betrayed her promise. I told her mother about Daniel and…"

Recalling Regina's words from the previous night, Emma filled in the blanks. "Her mother killed him?"

"Right in front of Regina. I was young then, and I didn't find out until years later."

"How old were you?"

"A little younger than Henry, I think."

"And she blamed you for not keeping a secret? Sounds to me like her mother's the one Regina should hate, not you. You were a child!"

Snow smiled wistfully. "There's more to it than that." She shook her head. "It's a long story, and a lot of it is just guesswork on my part. Maybe if you read Henry's book you'd understand." Emma wanted to hear it from Snow, but decided it was just one more reason to read that damn book so she might as well.

"Alright, now that we're all talking again, will you two tell me what the hell is going on? What was that look at the hospital?" August's impatience was reaching a boiling point.

"What James said about Jefferson," Snow explained. "He said Jefferson was in hiding and that Regina had his hat."

"So?" August prompted.

"So how did the Blue Fairy know that?" Emma said by way of explanation.

"She…wait, you think the Blue Fairy betrayed us? You're kidding, right? That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!" Emma had expected this reaction from Pinocchio. "The Blue Fairy is centuries old, even older than Rumplestiltskin. For centuries she's been helping people, granting wishes that would never come true otherwise. She brings people _happiness_. She is NOT evil!"

"We're not saying she's evil, just that too many things aren't adding up. How did she know about Jefferson and the hat if no one else has seen him since he kidnapped us? How did she know Regina had the hat? How did she know the enchantment on the mausoleum broke? How did she even know about the enchantment in the first place?" Emma was starting to feel dizzy.

"Did you ever think maybe she's the one who enchanted the building in the first place? Like I said, she's centuries old. She has powers we can't even imagine."

"Well that's another thing," Snow said. "If she's so powerful, why didn't she help us against Rumplestiltskin?"

"You just told me not half an hour ago that she was the one who trapped him in the forest!"

"But she disappeared when Rumple showed up. She was no help at all during the fight."

August had no comeback to this, having missed the whole thing. Snow, however, could not keep silent. "So did you," she reminded Emma quietly. "Come to think of it, where _did_ you go?"

"Back to the diner," Emma said, feeling slightly annoyed.

"What? While we were out there risking our necks you were sitting in _the diner_? Please tell me you're kidding!"

"It was part of my deal with Regina," Emma snapped, not wanting anyone to accuse her of being a coward. "She said she didn't want me anywhere near Rumple when the fighting started. She said if she died she didn't want you and Charming raising Henry."

"Then what were you doing in the forest when I ran into you?"

"Regina used magic to make our deal. I didn't realize it at the time, but when I tried to head back to you after talking to Regina, it was like my legs were on auto-pilot. I couldn't control them. I ended up walking all the way back to the diner. I sat there for quite a while, trying to force myself to move, but I couldn't budge. At one point, though, the spell must have broken because I could move again. I was worried the fight might have taken a turn for the worse, so I ran back to find you guys. I never got a chance to ask Regina what happened…" She pushed aside a pang of regret for all the things she wished she had said to Regina. "But none of this has anything to do with the Blue Fairy. I didn't see her at all while I was checking everyone's wounds. She just showed up and told me the enchantment was broken and I had to get to Henry."

"She disappeared again after that," Snow said, her gaze slightly unfocused as she searched her memories of that night. She nodded slowly. "Yes, I remember now. She told you about Henry, and I was worried something might have happened to him. Red asked if we should follow you, and I turned to ask the Blue Fairy what was going on, but she was gone. I assumed she went after you, so I started regrouping everyone."

"Well I didn't see her at all until you came out of the fire. When did she meet up with you guys again?"

Snow's pace slowed and Emma turned to stand in front of her, all three of them stopping. "I don't remember seeing her. The next time I saw her was in front of the diner."

"After the fire?" August asked. Snow nodded.

"It still doesn't prove anything," August said defensively. He started walking again and Snow and Emma followed, exchanging a look that said 'Well, we knew this was going to take some work.' "She could have been doing anything. Just because she didn't tell you where she was or what she was doing doesn't mean she did anything wrong."

"Regina knew that someone in our midst was a traitor. She didn't say anything before the battle, so she must have found out later, probably when she went after Rumplestiltskin. The Blue Fairy was gone plenty long enough to confront Regina, and…wait, how did Grumpy know that she was going to confront Rumplestiltskin?"

"Jiminy went out to find him and saw Regina heading straight for him. He flew back to tell us," Snow explained.

"Maybe Jiminy's a traitor," August grumbled mockingly. He really wasn't taking this betrayal well. "What exactly do you expect to find here?" He asked as they approached the mausoleum at last. The stone was blackened from the fire, but it was otherwise unharmed. The forest, on the other hand, had been devastated. The trees were all blackened and dead, and many of them had fallen over.

"We won't know until we find it. Anything to do with that symbol or that diner you visited would be a good start." Emma climbed the steps, eased open the heavy door and slipped inside, flicking on her flashlight. She could see the tomb still pushed aside to reveal the stairs and she was just about to climb down when Snow's voice called, "Emma!"

"What's wrong?" Emma asked, stepping back outside to find Snow and August standing on the threshold. She looked around, expecting to see something out of place that had drawn their attention, but there was nothing. She felt annoyed. "Are you two coming or what?"

"We can't," August said.

"No, you can come in now, the enchantment's broken."

But August shook his head. He put his hands up and they stopped in mid-air as though he were a mime encountering an imaginary wall. Snow mimicked his actions. Emma stared at them, shocked. "The enchantment isn't broken," Emma said breathlessly. August looked at her, pain etched on his face as the truth finally sank in.

"Why would she lie?" Snow asked. "None of her actions so far make much sense, but this is just ridiculous."

"She knew I was the only one who could talk sense into Regina," Emma said, her eyes darkening, hands clenching into fists. "She told me about the enchantment _right_ after Grumpy warned us that Regina was going after Rumple. She knew I'd go after her, try to stop her. She knew I was the only one who might succeed. She wanted Regina dead, and she put my son in danger to do it."

A loud, slow clapping made the three of them jump. Emma's eyes widened, and Snow and August turned around to see Rumplestiltskin looking up at Emma with a smile. He was dressed down, wearing dark wash jeans and a gray hoodie. Somehow the unassuming wardrobe only made him more menacing. "Well done, dearie. Excellent deductive reasoning. But perhaps you'd like someone to fill in the blanks?"

"I have no interest in dealing with you," Emma said coldly. She couldn't suppress the feeling of dread in her stomach and she hated it.

"And rightly so. But I can assure you that we're on the same side." His grin slipped, replaced by a flash of anger. "I want that fairy dead just as much as you do."

"We don't want her dead," Snow said, showing a surprising display of bravery. August couldn't help thinking she and her daughter were both nuts. Until he remembered that running was completely useless and almost groaned.

"Well you should," Rumple said, his gaze snapping to Snow, the grin back on his face. "After all, she did destroy your precious Enchanted Forest and all its contents." Snow's expression filled with shock and disbelief. Emma's eyes widened. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did she forget to tell you that?"

Snow recovered quickly from her shock and her expression hardened. "I don't believe you."

"Yes, I suspected that would be the case," he said solemnly. "So then I've come to collect that favour from you daughter."

"Yeah, since the last one worked out so well," Emma said, rolling her eyes. "I paid you back that favour; Regina's dead."

"Not by your hand. The deal was that _you_ would kill her, Miss Swan."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Forget it, _Rumple_, I'm done dealing with you. You can take your favour and shove it."

"Aren't you curious what he wants?" August said, and Rumple giggled. Emma shot August a glare.

"Simple! Very simple. All I want from you, Miss Swan, is a little help retrieving a particularly valuable item."

"The dagger," August said. Rumple nodded.

"You really think I'm going to find your dagger, our greatest weapon against you, and just hand it over to you? Because if you do you're even crazier than everyone says."

"Everyone says I'm crazy?" Rumple said, feigning a hurt expression. Emma rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest impatiently. "No, no, I don't expect that at all. You see, I'm a realist. Do with the dagger whatever you will once it's in your possession, although I advise caution should you choose to wield it."

"No way you're just gonna let us control you like a puppet," August said, nearly laughing at the absurdity. "It's not as fun as it looks, you know."

"I must admit, I don't relish the idea. But my window of opportunity is growing smaller and smaller by the minute, and – though I'm loathe to admit it – you Miss Swan are my only chance to reclaim the dagger. Better in your hands than the hands of someone intent on executing me."

"What makes you think we won't execute you once we have the dagger?"

"Who has it?" Snow asked, brushing aside Emma's comment. She could see the puzzle pieces coming together and the picture forming before her was too shocking to carry on anymore of this back and forth bravado.

"Why, your friend, of course. Reul Ghorm*."

***Just so nobody is confused, Reul Ghorm is Scots Gaelic for Blue Star. In the episode 'The Return' Baelfire calls the Blue Fairy Reul Ghorm.  
Also, the wardrobe choice for Rumple wasn't random. I read an interview with the creators saying they originally intended to have him dress very casual, with a hood pulled over his head to make him look sort of plain an unassuming (kinda like when you see his backstory). They changed it later because Carlyle was so awesome and they decided Rumple needed to look like a rock star. I think the hoodie look would have been creepier XD Just a little fun fact for you guys :)**


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

**Next update might be a little slow. Having trouble with my internet (uploading this at work, lol!) and it won't be fixed until late next week. Also, I was trying to transfer my story file to a USB (I write during my downtme at work. I'm as amazed as you are that I still have a job) and it accidentally deleted BOTH files, the one on my USB and my computer, and it didn't end up in the recycle bin. I'm running a recovery now and fingers crossed that it works, otherwise I'm gonna have to rewrite chapters 26-30 which I am NOT looking forward to. Good thing I remember where I was going with this story! So bear with me, I'm doing my best to keep the chapters coming.**

"Is he sleeping?" James looked up, relieved to see Emma. He looked behind her but didn't see Snow or August. He shook his head in response to Emma's question, but Henry didn't stir. She had to bite her cheek to keep from smiling; the kid really took his job seriously. She dropped her voice as low as she could. "Henry, I know you're listening. I want you to count to 20 slowly, then pretend to wake up, put down your book, and tell James you have to go to the washroom." She walked around the bed to sit down next to James, careful to keep her face hidden while sitting as casually as possible. "Take him past the washroom and out the side entrance. Snow will be waiting. Take him to the mausoleum as fast as you can and tell him to stay there until I come for him."

James nodded. They both waited, and Emma was concerned that Henry hadn't heard her instructions, but after a few tense seconds he inhaled deeply and stretched with a yawn. Once again Emma bit her cheek to keep from smiling. He sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and looked at Emma. Very reluctantly, his desire to cling to his book warring with his desire to obey Emma's instructions, he slowly handed the storybook to Emma. "I have to go to the bathroom," he said to James.

Emma took the book gingerly from him, placing it gently on her lap, giving him a reassuring smile. "I'll take good care of it until you get back," she said. He nodded, knowing he could trust her but uncomfortable being separated from it nonetheless. James stood up and lifted the still-tried Henry into his arms, walking casually out of the ward. No one noticed them leaving.

Emma kicked her feet up on the edge of the bed, reclining casually in the chair. They had to do this right, she reminded herself as impatience made her whole body itch. She knew she had to wait at least long enough for James and Snow to get a head start towards the mausoleum, and in the meantime she needed to look relaxed. She wanted desperately to be the one to hurry Henry to safety, but she knew that if the Blue Fairy saw her leaving with Henry she would see straight through the ruse and know something was off. How she would react was impossible to say, but Emma knew it wouldn't be good.

So Emma waited, relaxing her body as best she could. She glanced down at the book in her lap and her fingers itched to flip it open, but she had to remain focused now. She kept her gaze directed towards the door, her slight tension easily explained by her worry for Henry and her anxiety at being separated from him even for a few minutes. Finally, after what seemed like far too long, August appeared in the doorway. He nodded slowly to Emma, keeping to the shadows. Emma stood up, set the book down, stretched to mask her sweeping survey of the room, and set her eyes on the Blue Fairy. She was standing on a window sill not far from Emma, talking quietly to Jiminy. Emma started towards them and saw the fairy's eyes flit towards the door, landing on August. Her head whipped around to look at Emma and her eyes widened.

Emma swore loudly and lunged. She couldn't quite get her hand around the Blue Fairy as she rose into the air, but she managed to knock her sideways with a heavy sweep of her hand. The blow left the fairy dizzy, circling haphazardly, and August burst into the room. He was holding a net of fine gold mesh and he tossed it deftly over the disoriented fairy. Everyone in the room was watching the spectacle, shocked, and several of them let out angry yells. One of the dwarves tried to tackle August but he managed to sidestep the attack, gathering the mesh closed and pulling the Blue Fairy to the ground. To Emma's surprise she didn't struggle, although she suspected the fairy knew it was pointless; the net was enchanted to be indestructible to fairies.

"What are you doing?" Jiminy cried, zooming over to land on Emma's shoulder.

"She's a traitor," Emma announced, her voice carrying over the anxious chatter of the crowd. There were several gasps and expressions of shock, as well as several loud cries of disbelief.

"That can't be true," Jiminy said, rustling his wings anxiously.

"It is. Rumplestiltskin was never a threat to us. She stole his dagger and was controlling him as the Dark One." August glared down at the tiny blue figure, feeling deeply betrayed. This was the woman who had given him his happy ending and it pained him to know what she had done. Emma could see the hurt in his eyes and it made her feel sorry for him.

"How can you be sure of that?" Grumpy asked, understandably suspicious. Everyone else seemed just as reluctant to take their word, but thankfully Emma had earned a great deal of trust and respect in Storybrooke.

"Regina warned me that someone here was a traitor," Emma said, looking down at the fairy. She had her head down, avoiding everyone's eyes. She made no attempt to defend herself. "We did some digging and it eventually pointed us to her, so we went out to the mausoleum to investigate." She paused, looking down at the fairy's slumped posture. "And while we were there we ran into Rumplestiltskin."

This, at last, made the Blue Fairy's head snap up, looking up at Emma with wide, frightened eyes. "He's alive?" She breathed. A shiver of fear ran through the room.

"And finally free from your power over him. He told us everything." The fairy looked horrified and Emma couldn't help feeling triumphant.

"It's not what you think. You don't understand. I had to kill Rumplestiltskin but I couldn't do it alone. I knew you wouldn't kill him without a reason, I knew you'd never understand why he had to die, so I had to force your hand." Emma glared down at the little fairy, searching for the lie in her words, but she found nothing.

"Rumplestiltskin is innocent of everything that happened since the magic returned. He didn't try to hurt us of his own free will. He doesn't deserve to die."

The fairy scoffed. "You think Rumplestiltskin is _innocent_? He's killed hundreds, and that's just with his own hands. He's been responsible for the death of thousands in his lifetime. He's manipulative and power hungry and he deserves to be executed! He's been locked up once and he masterminded a means of escape. I couldn't risk such a thing happening again."

"So you decided to put all of our lives at risk? You made us believe that he was our enemy so we would rally against him. Why not just kill him yourself? I can't imagine all of this manipulation was easier."

"His power is too strong," she admitted, lowering her head. "The power I have, I've had since birth. My magic has never changed, never wavered, so I never had to learn to wield it. Rumplestiltskin has devoted his long life to seeking magic, learning to control and manipulate it, learning to bend it to his will. Learning new magic is second nature to him. Even Regina found it much easier to control this new magic than I. As hard as I try I can either have accuracy or power with my magic, but I can't have both. My magic never would have defeated his."

Emma thought back to the spell to trap Rumple. "That's why the perimeter of your spell was so large. You needed it to be powerful, but you couldn't make it small and accurate." The fairy nodded, lifting her gaze to Emma again. She searched the tiny face and found no spark of untruth. "Why not kill him when you had the dagger?"

"The legend says that if you kill the Dark One with his dagger, you will gain his power and take his place. The truth is that you don't have to physically use the dagger; you just have to use its influence to become the Dark One. If I had killed him myself while controlling him with the dagger I would have become the new Dark One. I couldn't let that happen. I had to let that legacy die with him."

"That's why you didn't use the dagger to keep him in the forest. You knew the spell would hold and he'd be trapped anyway, so you released your control over him before you escaped." Emma already knew this; Rumplestiltskin had at least explained that much. She was merely repeating it for confirmation, as well as to explain it to the crowd listening intently. The fairy nodded. Emma continued. "Did you set the fire?"

"No, that was Regina. Emotions seem to interact strongly with the magic here, making it nearly impossible to control without first controlling your emotions. Her anger was too strong and she accidentally ignited the forest. She was too weak to rein the magic back in. I thought Rumplestiltskin would die in the fire." More truth.

"And the mausoleum? You told me the enchantment was broken, but I went back there and it's perfectly intact. You put Henry in danger." Emma fought to suppress her anger. The fairy was being cooperative so far; she deserved a chance to explain herself.

"Many such enchantments can only exist while there remains a living descendant. Once that last descendant dies, the enchantment breaks. Regina was the last of her family's bloodline. She was facing Rumplestiltskin, weak and sick. I knew I had to release Rumplestiltskin before the fire claimed him, and suspected he might try to kill Regina once I did. And then of course he would be free to go wherever he pleased, and the mausoleum was within the perimeter of my spell." She sighed. "I admit that the enchantment wasn't actually broken when I came to you, but there was no time to explain everything."

"But the enchantment didn't break," Emma said.

"I said _many_, not _all_. Some remain intact until there is no one left alive with permission to enter, and some remain until the structure is destroyed." The Blue Fairy continued, babbling about the wide variety of enchantments that exist to protect buildings as well as people, but Emma was no longer listening.

"How did you know Regina was sick?" She interrupted.

The Blue Fairy stopped mid-sentence and looked up at Emma. "Pardon?"

"You said Regina was weak and sick. How did you know she was sick?"

"I saw her in the woods after her first battle with Rumplestiltskin," she said by way of explanation.

"You spoke to her." It wasn't a question. Emma suddenly recalled that Regina had known the Fairy was a traitor. But how? She had warned Emma not to trust the traitor, but so far Emma had heard nothing that warranted such a dire warning.

"I tried to convince her to turn back. She was too weak to face Rumplestiltskin. I told her if she did she would almost certainly be killed." And there it was at last: the lie. Emma felt the back of her neck tingle and this time she knew the sensation for what it was.

She slowly lowered herself to her knees and put her face as close to the tiny fairy as she could without straining her eyes. "That. Is. A. Lie."

There was anxious whispering around her but she blocked it out. The Blue Fairy was staring up at her, her mouth slightly open. "How dare you. I've been nothing but cooperative. I tried to save everyone from a very real threat!"

"_Two_ real threats, am I right? You wanted Regina dead." The Fairy shook her head vehemently and Emma smirked. "Deny it all you want, but you can't lie to me."

A look of dismay crossed the tiny face. She looked up at Emma and the realization finally hit her. She hadn't expected to be interrogated by someone who could see straight through her lies. Emma watched as an old, familiar emotion crept onto the fairy's face: anger. "Tell them what you did," Emma prompted. "Tell them all why they didn't go home when the curse broke."

Now there was absolute silence. No one in the room even dared to breathe. Except for the Blue Fairy, who was breathing heavy and shallow. She shook her head, trying to inch away from Emma's piercing gaze but unable to move in the net. At last she straightened herself up as best she could and looked Emma square in the eye. "It's gone. Destroyed when the curse took hold."

There were horrified gasps from everyone. Several people began to weep quietly. "That can't be true," Red said breathlessly, looking pleadingly at Emma.

Emma looked up at her, eyes full of sorrow. She didn't feel any great loss at the revelation, since she didn't really consider the Enchanted Forest her home and had no memories of ever living there, but these people had literally lost their entire world and Emma could only imagine the devastation. She turned her gaze back to the fairy. "You destroyed it."

"No! The curse destroyed it." Hmmm…truth. Emma struggled to remember what little Rumple had told her. "The curse was never meant to destroy anything. You altered it."

And there it is, Emma thought. The fairy had no excuse this time. "I had to destroy it," she said quietly, and angry roars rose up around them.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

**Gonna go back to that conversation Regina was having in the woods, now that we all know who she was talking to. Just in case anyone still wasn't sure, the Blue Fairy is the mysterious 'intruder' Regina was talking to in chapter 12.**

"The spell on the mausoleum is broken. He's unprotected now."

Regina laughed again. "Wow, you really are determined! But seriously, you need to quit. The enchantment is perfectly intact."

"Are you sure about that? After all, Your Majesty, magic here is…unpredictable."

"Spells and curses, maybe, but enchantments are the most stable magic there is. If the enchantment broke I would know it instantly. Now leave me alone before I conjure up a fly swatter."

The fairy swooped down, hovering far too close for Regina's liking. She recoiled in disgust but her head could only go so far before it was pressed against the tree. "I wonder, Your Majesty, does Sherriff Swan possess your keen understanding of the intricacies of magic?"

Regina's blood ran cold. Her mind was reeling, struggling to put the pieces together. Was the fairy really threatening her son? Regina had assumed that the Blue Fairy wanted her dead, ideally taking Rumple down with her, but threatening Henry didn't make sense. "You wouldn't dare," she said, a hint of disbelief in her words.

The Fairy was now hovering so close that Regina had to strain her eyes to keep the tiny face in focus. The fairy's voice dropped to a hiss, her face contorting with rage. "You deserve to lose him."

Regina was on her feet instantly, her hand flying out to grab the infernal creature but she zoomed nimbly out of Regina's grasp. "If you so much as fly over my son I will crush you into dust," Regina threatened.

The fairy laughed, doing a graceful little flip in mid-air. "You think your power is a match for mine?" She steadied herself, eyes locked on Regina's, and her voice dropped as she said, "You love Henry? Love is weakness, Regina."  
Regina shuddered. She couldn't help it. Her mother's voice rang in her ears, echoing forward through time as though she had just spoken. It made Regina's head fill with thick fog, too many emotions welling up in her, all vying for top position. Anger, hatred, fear, resentment, sorrow, longing and – ugh, that sick, twisted, desperate, yearning love that Regina hacked away at furiously but could never break. Cora would always be her mother, and nothing Regina ever did would free her from that bond, even now. She began to tremble, wanting to lash out, scream, cry, wanting to collapse in on herself until the emotions smothered her, the conflict rendering her completely motionless.

Until she heard it – that infuriating giggle. She looked up at the mocking smile, stretched wide to reveal rotting teeth, eyes filled with glee at finding his enemy so helpless. Everything in her hardened, self-preservation kicking in and condensing everything into pure, solid hatred. The world closed in around her, narrowing her focus until it was completely filled with the man who had dangled happiness in front of her time and time again only to snatch it away, always just out of her reach. He'd turned her into a mule, taking advantage of her burning hunger to keep her blindly following the carrot. She let out an anguished scream and lunged, but Rumple vanished. Feeling a strange disconnect, her mind silencing her body's cries of pain, Regina raced through the woods, pushing her magic outwards to lead her straight to her target.

"You foolish girl," a voice said in her ear. Running full-out, Regina lost her footing and went flying, landed hard on her front, the wind knocked out of her. "This is you happy ending?"

"No," Regina cried, pressing her hands over her ears. She knew it was impossible, knew her mother was dead, but the voice sounded so close and so real that it plunged Regina back into her past. She felt the iron grip on her arms, the rough wiping of her tears, the unbearable agony in her heart as she wrapped her arms around Daniel's body. "No," she sobbed, pulling her knees up to her chest, hands over her ears.

"I am so proud of you." Regina screamed and she felt pain rip through her. The fire that had been burning inside her for the past two days seared through her, burning white hot, and it mingled with the magic flowing in her veins until it leapt out as a physical thing, igniting the dry brush. Regina rolled onto her back, limbs sprawling, breathing heavily as she felt her body finally succumbing to its weakness.

Her vision began to blur, but as she looked up she could make out a faint outline, glowing brilliantly in the light of the fire spreading around her. "You were wrong, Your Majesty." That voice. Regina knew it. But no, this creature was not Cora. So then…? "Looks like tonight _is_ your night to burn at the stake." The voice softened and everything clicked. Regina laughed in her delirium. The hatred in her was gone, burnt up like gasoline on a bonfire, and cold truth settled over her. She really was going to die in this fire. She looking blearily up at her opponent and might have clapped if her strength allowed it. Instead she just chuckled, which turned into a cough as she inhaled a lungful of smoke.

"Regina!" A voice called. She heard an angry hiss and the fairy vanished. She coughed again, another whiff of smoke blowing over her. A moment later she saw someone come into view, someone she should recognize but her brain struggled to make the connection. The figure knelt down next to her and recognition clicked.

"Emma," she said, her voice a hoarse whisper.

"Regina, what happened? Have you been sick this whole time?" Sick? What did that matter? She felt Emma trying to pull her up, trying to take her away from the fire, but she resisted. Emma had to listen, had to understand before it was too late. "Dammit, I'm trying to help you!"

"No, no. Henry…" Regina breathed, struggling to regain her voice.

"Don't worry about Henry, I have to get you out."

No, no, no! Didn't she understand? Henry was more important now, Henry was the one in danger. He was the one who had to be saved. "He's not safe!" She rasped, her throat feeling raw and singed from the smoke.

"I know. I took him somewhere safe." Took him…oh gods. Regina's mind reeled. She had already spoken to the Blue Fairy, already thought the enchantment was broken. She had taken Henry from the only safe place left in Storybrooke, the only place that would keep him protected from Rumplestiltskin and, apparently an even bigger threat, the Blue Fairy. "He's going to be fine. Come ON!"

Regina resisted Emma's efforts, shaking her head, sending a wave of dizziness over her. Dammit, she had to make Emma understand…something. Her thoughts were so jumbled, her fever was skyrocketing, and none of what had happened in the last hour even made sense. How could she possibly explain it? "Don't…" she started, fighting the dizziness. "Don't…" she willed her brain to focus.

"Don't what?"

"Don't trust…" Dammit, why? What was even happening? Would Regina death be enough to satisfy the Blue Fairy's desires? Would it be enough to keep Emma and Henry safe? She had threatened Henry, but was it real or just to push Regina forward?

Regina heard the loud crack and she felt the weight of his presence nearby. She didn't have to turn her head to know who was now standing in their midst. "Don't trust who?" Emma screamed.

'_Because as long as you're alive Henry will never be mine'_. Regina looked up at Emma, the saviour, a woman she had feared and hated and tried so hard to push away. 'What a strange twist of fate,' she thought. She lifted her hands to press them gently against Emma's temples. "Protect him," she said, trusting Emma at last. What choice remained? Henry loved Emma. And after all the heartache he had suffered for Regina's selfish needs, he deserved to be happy. She couldn't bear the thought of him losing everything because of her selfishness. She would not let him lose his hope, his white knight, his precious saviour – his _mother_ – trying to save the woman who took away his hope for happiness. She gathered together everything she had left inside of her, every tiny thread of power, and drew in into her hands. Then she pushed with the very last of her strength, and the magic exploded out of her. She heard Emma's scream of agony, and then she was gone, leaving behind a few wispy tendrils of dark smoke. Regina's world went dark.

* * *

"Quiet!" Emma yelled. "Why? Why would you destroy your world?"

"All of our enchanted trees chopped down, all our magic beans used up, the mighty herds of unicorns gone, only a small few remaining…it was horrible. Our world was dying but no one wanted to see it. No one wanted to believe it. I had to bring us here!"

"To a land without magic where we would suffer for eternity?" Red shook her head, feeling disgusted.

"I knew it wouldn't be forever. I made preparations before we left to safeguard my memories so I could bring Emma here."

"Those aren't the only preparations you made, Dearie." Everyone shouted, scrambling away from Rumplestiltskin as he waltzed through the door, but there was nowhere to go.

"You," the fairy hissed.

"Lovely to see you again," he greeted cheerfully.

"How the hell did you survive? You were supposed to die in that fire!"

"Yes, that was very poor planning on your part. Didn't expect Miss Swan to turn up so soon, did you?"

Emma looked down, expecting to see the Blue Fairy fuming, or possibly looking scared, but instead she saw her shrinking. At first Emma thought she was just crouching, frustrated, but she realized – too late – that she was actually shrinking in size. A second later she was so tiny that she simply slipped through the mesh of the net and zoomed out of the room before anyone could stop her, even slipping through Rumple's outstretched hands. "Dammit!" Emma bellowed.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

**Rewinding back to the mausoleum with Emma, Snow, August and Rumple. BTW, I rewatched 'The Stranger' to find the name of the restaurant where August and Emma were found. Couldn't read the sign very well but I think I got it right. You'll see what I mean when you read the chapter.**

"You expect us to believe that the Blue Fairy used the dagger to manipulate you?" August rolled his eyes.

"Do I expect you to believe it, Mr. Booth? No, I don't. I expect _her_ to believe it." He swung his gaze to Emma and their eyes locked. She searched them for a long time, unsure. "I brought magic to Storybrooke thinking that I would be free to leave once the curse was broken. Shortly after the magic took hold I felt the pull of the dagger, and my free will was lost."

Snow looked at Emma expectantly. Emma sighed. "He's telling the truth," she said. Out of the corner of her eye she saw August deflate.

"But why?" Snow asked, tears stinging her eyes.

"Wouldn't you rather hear that from Reul Ghorm herself?" Rumple asked.

"I wouldn't mind hearing your take," Emma said flatly.

"She knew why I created the curse. She knew why I wanted to come here. Bringing magic to Storybrooke is one thing, but bringing it to the whole world is quite another. I suspect she wanted me dead before she released whatever boundaries she placed around this town."

"So let me get this straight: you…miscalculated?" There was a flash of anger on Rumple's face and Emma smiled smugly.

"I suspected she would find a way to safeguard her memories, and I knew if I predicted your return she would be the one to bring you here. But…" He faltered, disgusted by his ignorance. Regina was the rash, unthinking child, not him.

"You didn't know she wanted to destroy the Enchanted Forest," Emma supplied.

"I…assumed," he hated that word, "that she would try to break the curse to return everyone home. Your future was very difficult to see, and I didn't realize she would bring you here accidentally. Of course my intention was for the curse to bring us here permanently, but there are other ways to return. She knows all of them, and I assumed she had a plan."

"And that didn't concern you?" August asked, feeling skeptical again.

"Why should it? The purpose of the curse was to bring _me_ here. If everyone wanted to return home once the curse broke, then so be it. That was no concern of mine."

"How did the Blue Fairy get a hold of your dagger?" August asked. Emma thought she saw a look pass between them, but it was gone too quickly to identify.

Rumple frowned now, his mask slipping, and for a moment Emma thought he wouldn't answer. Finally he said, "Her fairies created a replica and pooled their magic to protect it. Part of my original deal with Regina was that the dagger would be protected, but because she couldn't tell the difference between the real and the fake, neither could the curse."

"Bait and switch? And you didn't notice?" Even knowing it was the truth Emma found it far-fetched.

"He was tied to the dagger through magic. In the Enchanted Forest he would recognize a fake instantly and instinctively; it never occurred to him that once we came here, it would be impossible for him to spot a fake." Snow shook her head, half furious and – though she hated to admit it – half impressed with the Blue Fairy.

"So the other fairies were in on it too?" August asked.

"I doubt it. They already saw me as a threat; it wouldn't be difficult to convince them to take action against me."

"You'll forgive us if we don't have much faith left in your _assumptions_," Emma said, thoroughly enjoying herself now. Rumple didn't bother putting his mask back in place this time. "Fine. What do we do now?"

"I, Rumplestiltskin, give you, Emma Swan, permission to open the top drawer of my desk and remove anything you see fit to remove." Once again Emma felt a strange tingling sensation travel down her spine. "Inside you will find a net capable of trapping any fairy. You will also find the false dagger, although I don't expect that to be much help. The real dagger, I'm quite certain, is hidden outside of Storybrooke. I suggest Mr. Booth go and retrieve it. You'll find it at Chantey's Lobster House. I believe you know it?"

August nodded, recognizing the name of the diner where he and Emma had been found. "That symbol…it has something to do with the dagger?"

"Later, Mr. Booth, right now you have a job to do." August huffed, but he hurried off towards his bike anyway. Pretty soon he was out of site and it was just the three of them. Rumple looked up at Emma, his grin returning. "You, then, Miss Swan, are going to get me out of here."

"How do you expect me to do that? The Blue Fairy's spell is still in place."

"All spells can be broken," he said.

"Okay…how do we break this one?"

"It's quite simple. You simply walk with me, arm in arm, past the perimeter. Once I leave, the spell will break."

"You'll forgive me if I don't jump at the chance just yet," Emma deadpanned. She wasn't taking Rumple anywhere without that dagger.

"All you need is an escort and you can leave?" Snow asked, incredulous. It wasn't exactly the sort of security she expected from the Blue Fairy.

"Not just any escort. An escort with powerful magic." He smiled up at Emma. She wanted to protest but she wasn't sure she could. Being a human lie detector was hardly your typical human ability, not to mention her ability to make Jefferson's hat work.

"Emma had a touch of magic from me, but I doubt it's powerful enough to counteract the Blue Fairy's spell." She looked at Emma apologetically. Emma shrugged, giving a faint smile.

"It's not the magic she received from you that matters, dearie."

Snow shook her head, confused. "James doesn't have any magic in his bloodline."

"It's not magic from her father, either. No, what your daughter possesses doesn't come from her blood, though it _is_ a family inheritance of sorts. Given _fweewy_ in a pure, _sewf-sacwificing_ gesture." He said mockingly.

Emma gaped at him. Snow looked at her, uncomprehending. Emma shook her head, unable to believe what she was hearing. "Regina," she breathed.

"Yes, Miss Swan. Regina did more than save your life. She gave you her power. _All_ of it. A gesture our sneaky little friend never counted on. Only Regina's power could have extinguished that fire, and Reul Ghorm knew just how to push her until she was too weak to use it. But she never counted on that power being handed over to someone healthy and strong."

Snow's mouth fell open. She looked from Rumple to Emma, shock warring with pride warring with disbelief. The thought of Regina sacrificing her life for Emma had been difficult enough to accept, but the thought that she had given Emma her power – something she had proven time and again was more important to her than anything or anyone – was incomprehensible. And yet, as she looked at her grown-up daughter, she couldn't help the swell of pride. "Rumplestiltskin didn't put out the fire after all. You did."

* * *

"There you are. Henry, what are you doing out here? You don't want to be late on your first day, do you?" Regina looked up into the branches, holding up a hand to shield her eyes from the morning sun.

"I'm not going," Henry announced stubbornly.

"This is ridiculous. Get down here right now." Regina infused her voice with all the authority she could muster. It should have been enough for Henry, who was normally very obedient, but this time he didn't budge. Any other day she might have resorted to grounding, but something in Henry's eyes made her heart soften.

Thankful she had chosen a more casual wardrobe that morning, she kicked off her high heels and hoisted herself gracefully into the tree. Henry gaped at her as she climbed, eventually settling on a branch slightly lower than his that put them at eye-level. "I didn't know you could do that," he breathed.

Regina chuckled. "I grew up climbing trees, too, you know." Henry just stared at her, trying and failing to picture his mother as a kid. "Henry, it's your first day of school. I don't understand, aren't you excited?" Henry shrugged, his eyes downcast now. "You'll be in a new class; you'll get to make new friends."

"I never make new friends," Henry said. Regina felt her chest tighten. Of course that wasn't true; Henry made new friends every year. Regina made sure of it. She enrolled him in soccer, basketball, swimming, baseball – anything that would help him connect with other children. She always had to be strict with him because every time he outgrew one age bracket he would lose the outgoing personality that each new activity gave him. So she kept pushing him, knowing that he just needed a little time and he would be back to having fun and being happy with his new friends on a new team.

But lately things were changing. She'd noticed it ages ago but tried to ignore it. Henry was becoming more and more withdrawn with every 'reset', and Regina was forced to push him harder and harder. They were fighting more and more because of it, but she didn't know what else to do. She couldn't let him waste away in front of the television with no friends, but she was beginning to fear what would happen to their relationship if she kept being so hard on him. She couldn't remember the last time he'd asked for a lullaby or a story, or the last time she made him laugh so hard he had tears in his eyes. 'It's for his own good,' she reminded herself. She had to keep pushing him. If she let him just give up, give in to his loneliness, then she had failed. She would not let him become another victim of her curse.

"Henry, that's enough. Come down now and get in the car or you can explain to your teacher yourself why you were late." When Henry made no move to climb down, she lowered her voice and tilted her head slightly to catch his eye. "Fine. You have come down from this tree eventually and when you do you can go straight to your room and stay there."

She slipped down out of the tree, grabbed her heels in one hand, and headed back inside. Henry eventually followed, but he was almost an hour late for school by the time Regina dropped him off. True to her word she didn't accompany Henry inside to explain, nor did she stop to speak to his teacher after class. Ultimately a wise decision, she later realized. As she waited at the end of the day for Henry to appear, she caught sight of him saying goodbye to his new teacher: Miss Blanchard. Regina shuddered. Snow White teaching _her_ son? She would have to fix that and-

"Hi!" Henry said brightly, tossing his backpack into the backseat before settling down and pulling the door shut.

"Uh..hi. You're in a good mood," Regina said, taken aback. "I take it you had a good day?

"Yeah! We had class outside today. All day! We got to sit in a circle in the grass. And when we started our science class we started talking about ecosystems and different animals and – mom, you're never gonna believe this! – Miss Blanchard actually got a bird to land _right on her finger_! It was the coolest thing I've ever seen! She knows all about nature and animals. And she's really nice, she wasn't even mad that I was late! You were right, this year is gonna be lots of fun." He looked up at her with pure joy shining in his eyes. Regina gave him a tight smile and glanced out the window as she started the car. 'Fan-fucking-tastic,' she thought.

**-Story credit to LOCISVU here. Originally my intention was just to have Regina sacrifice the last of her strength, leaving her too weak to defend herself or even 'smoke monster' to safety. But the idea of Regina actually giving her power to Emma was just too good to pass up, and it really brought some puzzle pieces together that I was unsure about. You guys are seriously gonna love what's coming up. So thanks, LOCISVU, and thanks to everyone who takes the time to leave amazing comments :)**

**-To all Rumple fans who are less than thrilled with what I've done here, let me explain: What I love most about Rumple is his humanity. It's why I love the villains so much on this show. He was desperate to reunite with his son, and I believe that desperation can lead **_**anyone**_** to make mistakes. I think this is especially true in this story because Rumple doesn't understand a key part of the Blue Fairy's motivation (and neither do you guys yet, lol), so how could he have possibly predicted her actions? I wanted to make Rumple a little more fallible while still maintaining his core character, and I hope I've succeeded so far. But feel free to complain in your reviews, lol XD**


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

**Had a reviewer ask me about a love interest for Emma. Haven't really been thinking about it, to be honest. I think Emma still has some growing up to do before she's ready for love. That doesn't mean there won't be love in the air for someone, though ;) Also, I have to apologize for not explaining this sooner: I've decided to stray from canon a little and say that Belle is still locked up. I was VERY unsatisfied with how she was freed and with her reunion with Rumple, so I'd like some freedom to (hopefully) explore that.**

"I just don't believe it. How could she do this to us?"

"Is our home really gone? It can't be!"

"Where will we go now?"

"We don't belong in this world!"

Emma caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of her eye and saw Snow and Charming enter the room. They nodded to Emma and she let out a sigh of relief. Henry, at least, was safe. All eyes turned to the royal couple as they entered the room, edging past Rumple with a hint of trepidation. "The Blue Fairy escaped," Emma informed them as they approached.

Snow shook her head. She turned to Rumplestiltskin. "Now is the time for you to start explaining. How do we stop her?"

"I gave you your weapon. It's not my fault it didn't work."

The hairs on the back of Emma's neck stood up and she sputtered a laugh. "He's lying," she chuckled. Surprisingly, Rumple actually smiled at this.

"Nothing else would have held her. At least you had the chance to interrogate her. There's nothing I could have done to change what happened."

"You could have warned us what would happen," August shot at him.

"True, but then you would have wasted your time looking for a more effective method instead of using this one."

"He's right, August. At least we got some answers." Emma was not happy with their new alliance. She still didn't trust Rumple, and the fact that they were now on the same side made her feel confused. She knew she couldn't trust him, knew he had committed horrible crimes, but what could she do about it? She had no evidence that he had done anything really wrong to anyone she knew, apart from kidnapping Kathryn - though it did lead to Regina's increased desperation and ultimately the end of the curse, so it was difficult to condemn - and everything in the past few days that had made her feel justified in killing him weren't even his fault. So now what was she supposed to do?

"Your Majesty?" August interrupted Emma's thoughts. He stepped towards Snow, who smiled warmly, and held out the dagger. "This dagger has the power to control the Dark One. I think you should hold onto it now."

Snow nodded, taking the dagger carefully from August's outstretched hands. "Thank you, Pinocchio."

His cheeks turned slightly red. "I'd prefer August," he muttered.

"Oh. Of course, my apologies. I suppose you've been August a lot longer than you were Pinocchio." August nodded and turned to walk back to Emma, but Snow caught his arm and he looked back at her. "You know I forgive you, right?"

"For…for what?" August stammered.

"I know you were supposed to protect Emma. And I know you left. But I want you to know that I don't blame you for anything. Not for leaving Emma and certainly not for taking my place in the wardrobe. You were just a boy. And I know you did everything you could to make up for it." Snow smiled. August nodded, his eyes glistening. Emma couldn't help smiling. She glanced at Rumplestiltskin and saw him inspecting his claw-like fingernails.

"That's all well and good, but what about him?" Grumpy piped up, pointing at Rumple, who raised his brows as if to say 'Who, me?'

"He's under our control now. He's no threat to us as long as we have the dagger," Snow assured him.

"He found a way to escape his prison once, who's to say he won't do it again?" There were several nods of approval at Grumpy's words.

"He escaped when the Dark Curse was cast. That won't be happening this time." Snow glanced at Rumple, who merely smiled cheerfully at her. When she turned back to the crowd Emma saw Rumple roll his eyes and continue inspecting his fingernails, leaning nonchalantly against the door frame.

"Snow," Red said, stepping towards her friend, "eventually we're going to have to figure out what to do with him. You do realize he's a slave now, right? He can't be trusted, dagger or no dagger. We _have_ to lock him up before he can do anymore harm."

Rumple held up a finger, inclining his head towards Snow and Red. "I'd like to point out that I haven't done any actual harm here." He waved his hands dismissively. "Sorry, terribly sorry, your decision. Please, continue."

"We don't have the power to trap him," Snow said, shaking her head.

"I do," Emma said. Every pair of eyes turned to her and she felt her cheeks flush. "I-I mean, I could try."

Snow shook her head. "I don't want you using magic. It would be dangerous under the best of circumstances, and we certainly don't have those here."

"We could take him out of Storybrooke. His magic would disappear, and we could restrain him somewhere," Red suggested.

"The dagger loses its power past the magical boundaries of the town. You can't use it to force me out." Rumple said in a sing-song voice, looking at Emma. Everyone else followed his gaze.

"It's true," Emma confirmed.

"Not necessarily. If he just thinks it's true but doesn't actually know you wouldn't be able to tell he's lying," August pointed out hopefully.

"Oh no, dearie, of that I'm certain." Again Emma nodded, confirming Rumple's words. He clapped his hands together with a giggle.

"The Blue Fairy wants him dead so bad we should just hand him over," Grumpy muttered.

August shook his head. "We'd have to use the dagger to force him to confront her. We can't use the dagger's power to bring about his death of the person giving the orders will become the new Dark One. The Blue Fairy was right about one thing: that power has to die with him."

There was a loud, exaggerated sigh from the doorway and everyone turned to look at Rumple, leaning lazily against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest. "What?" Emma demanded when he remained silent.

"As much as I'm enjoying this little discussion, I have no interest in being locked up anywhere." Emma rolled her eyes and several people clearly shared her opinion. "When two people both want something the other has, a deal can always be struck."

"We're not making any deals with you," James said, glaring at Rumple as though he'd like nothing more than to press his sword against the imp's throat.

"You agree not to lock me up, and I'll help you capture the Blue Fairy once and for all," Rumple said, ignoring James to focus instead on Emma. She felt her cheeks burn; when had she become the official authority figure? Wasn't Snow supposed to be queen?

"And I suppose you want your dagger back as well?" Snow asked mockingly.

"No, that you can keep," Rumple said. Snow and Emma exchanged looks. "I'm no fool, your majesty. I know nothing I can offer will convince you to give up your power over me. Power is…difficult to let go of." He smiled.

"All we have to do is agree not to lock you up?" James asked, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"Not now, not ever," Rumple clarified.

James looked on the verge of saying something, but Emma interrupted. "If you are ever responsible, directly or indirectly, for any harm that comes to this down or the people in it, our deal is void." Their eyes locked, Rumple's expression blank. Slowly he nodded, looking a little annoyed at the added clarification. "Fine. Tell us how to find the fairy."

"Not so fast, dearie. I have another deal to make. With _you_." He pointed a long, clawed finger at Emma. "Just between us," he added.

Emma glanced at Snow, who shrugged. "It's your decision," she said quietly. Emma sighed and stood. As she passed, Snow handed her the dagger. Emma tucked it carefully up her sleeve, the handle pressed firmly against her palm.

"After you," she said, motioning for Rumple to lead the way. They walked together in silence down the stairwell and out the side entrance of the hospital. They stood next to each other, Emma staring at Rumple and Rumple gazing out of the town. Emma was itching to get to the point but she refused to be the one to break the silence this time.

"You possess a talent that could prove very useful to me, Miss Swan," he said at last, turning his gaze to meet Emma's.

"Encounter a lot of liars, do you?"

Rumple chuckled, an oddly human sound that would have been more appropriate from Mr. Gold. Emma couldn't help thinking of them as two different people, so to be reminded that they were in fact one in the same gave Emma chills. "Yes, I do. But that's not the talent to which I was referring."

"I'm getting a little sick of these cryptic conversations. Either tell me what you want or I'm going back upstairs and you can forget your deal." There was a long silence, and Emma turned with a growl of frustration to head back upstairs.

Rumple's hand shot out to grab Emma's arm. "I want you to find someone for me," he said quickly. Emma turned back to face him, her eyes narrowing. "When this is over, when the Blue Fairy is captured and we're free to leave Storybrooke, I want you to accompany me…to help me find someone."

"Here?" Emma asked, wondering who Rumple could possibly be looking for when everyone from his world was right here in a town they couldn't leave.

"In this world, yes, but not in Storybrooke. He came to this world before the curse was cast. A long time ago."

"Who is this person?" Emma asked. Rumple seemed reluctant to answer. "You're going to have to tell me eventually. I can't find someone if I have no idea who I'm looking for."

Rumple nodded, his eyes downcast. "My son. Baelfire."

Emma's eyes widened. The thought of Rumplestiltskin having a son was mind-blowing. 'So he _is_ human,' she thought. 'Or at least, he was.' She nodded. "What happened to him?"

"Another day, Miss Swan. Do we have a deal?"

"Maybe. What are you offering in return?"

At this Rumplestiltskin returned to himself. He grinned, his shoulder hunching so the hood of his sweatshirt nearly touched his ears. He leaned in close and Emma had to fight not to take a step back. "Do this for me…and I will send you somewhere horrible."


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Emma looked around, slightly disoriented. She was standing on a hill overlooking a vast green valley, distant trees to her right along with a scattering of houses. Looking to her left she noticed a man, probably not much older than twenty, leaning against the trunk of an immense tree. His eyes were scanning the horizon, but when Emma glanced behind her she saw nothing. 'He's waiting for someone,' she thought. She walked quickly towards him, but a sense of unease rose in her as she approached. The man took no notice of her whatsoever, which struck her as incredibly odd considering they were the only two people for quite some distance and her clothes – tight jeans and a motorcycle jacket – should have at least peaked his curiosity. But he only continued to scan the horizon as if Emma were invisible.

"Waiting for someone?" Emma called out, not really expecting an answer. Sure enough the man took no notice of her. "Alright…" she muttered, "Now what?"

As if on cue Emma heard the sound of a horse behind her and a cheerful laugh. The man straightened up and headed slowly towards the rider, embracing her. Emma turned to watch the couple and stared dumbfounded at the newcomer. "I thought we could take a ride to firefly hill," she heard the man say.

"Regina?" Emma called out.

"I can't. I…have to be back in an hour. Tea time. A lady never misses her tea time."

"What the…" Emma took a few steps closer and scanned Regina's face as the couple carried on their conversation. It was bright and youthful, and as she gazed up at the young man Emma could see she was deeply in love with him. Even seeing it with her own eyes Emma had a hard time believing Regina had ever been this woman. She wondered if it was a true reflection of the past or merely some creative construct of this place. As with the young man, Regina didn't acknowledge Emma's presence whatsoever.

"Miss Swan…" Emma jumped at the sudden hiss in her ear. She whipped around, nearly tripping over a tree root. Standing there was the real, flesh and blood person Emma was seeking, but she felt no sense of relief at having found her. She was dressed in black riding pants and a thick wool coat that looked eerily similar to the one the young man behind them was wearing. Her hair had grown long and hung in disheveled, uneven tresses, shielding her eyes. Her hands were covered in long scratches, mostly superficial but a few looked deep and painful. Emma also noticed faint traces of similar scratches on her face that hadn't completely healed yet. She had dark circles under her eyes and her face was pale and gaunt. Regina was far from the ruthless mayor that Emma remembered, and even farther from the loving mother Emma had seen in what she thought were Regina's final moments. This woman was barely even a pale shadow of those two images, but her eyes blazed with a black fury verging on absolute madness. Regina took a slow step forward and Emma took an involuntary step backwards. Regina chuckled.

"Better make it quick, Miss Swan. I'm a busy woman and I'll be leaving in a moment," she mimed running with her fingers, "off to save another little brat from another spooked horse so she can grow up to have a miserable little bitch like you." The venom in her voice made Emma shudder. She had been afraid of Regina at the height of her power in Storybrooke, she had to admit, but this was different. She knew Regina had no power left to really harm anyone, and yet her fear was impossible to hide. The hatred in Regina was so profound it practically glowed in her eyes, so dark they were almost black. Emma could feel it scorching her.

"True love…is the most powerful magic of all. It can overcome anything," the man said behind Emma. Regina spoke the words along with him, her voice shrill and mocking. She gave a low chuckle which stopped abruptly at the sound of a voice calling "Help!"

"Off to see the brat. Care to join me, Miss Swan?" She laughed again and the sound echoed in the darkness that suddenly enveloped them. Emma's heart pounded at the sudden blackness, but it cleared before her fear could fully take hold. They were now in the valley, and Emma watched as young Regina rode towards her, a young girl draped over her horse. The girl dropped to the ground and young Regina quickly followed.

"It's okay, dear. You're safe."

"Safe," the real Regina spat.

"You saved my life," the little girl said, slightly breathless. Regina growled in frustration and began to claw at the little girl furiously. But the figures, which Emma now assumed were real memories, were oblivious of any other presence. Regina's hands passed harmlessly through the girl as they would a ghost. Emma watched for a minute, confused and unsettled, until she heard the little girl say "I'm Snow. Snow White." She gasped, stunned by the sudden realization that this girl was a younger version of her mother. She knew Snow and Regina had a history, but actually seeing it in front of her was shocking. As the memory figures hugged, Regina screamed, and the world went dark again.

When the darkness cleared this time they were in a stable and the sun had set. The young man was there once again, this time brushing down the chocolate brown horse young Regina had been riding earlier. No sooner did the memory of Regina fill Emma's mind than she burst through the stable doors, shouting "Daniel? Daniel!"

"What is it?" The young man asked, concerned by the tone of Regina's voice.

"Marry me," Regina whispered. Emma glanced over at the present day version and she couldn't help feeling a pang of sorrow as she watched the woman's eyes fill with grief.

Emma had never wondered much about Regina's past beyond her connection to Snow, but she found herself filled with curiosity now. She knew what had happened to Daniel, and that Regina had been in love with him, but something about actually seeing it unfold made Emma realize that maybe she had rushed to judgement too quickly. To think that Regina had been such a sweet girl, so deeply in love, she realized that Snow was right: there was more to the story than the events unfolding before her. She watched as Regina convinced the young man – Daniel – to run away with her. She watched as Regina expressed her profound love, and Daniel reciprocated with a gold ring pulled from a saddle. She watched the couple share a passionate kiss. And she watched as Snow – her mother – interrupted their secret proposal.

The scene rearranged once again, and Emma was now enthralled by the memories playing out before her. She was shocked by the exchange between Regina and the young Snow White, by the depth of Regina's compassion. All the while her companion – the grown-up and tragically twisted version of this loving young woman – was completely silent. Until Snow White said "I promise," and she let slip a low growl as their surroundings shifted once again.

'Are these two women really one in the same?' Emma couldn't help wondering. 'What has to happen to such a beautiful soul to turn it into this?'

As Emma watched another scene unfold, this time involving a woman Emma eventually realized was Regina's mother, she began to understand. She knew what was coming, and once again she felt her heart ache for the young woman in front of her. She knew the woman – Cora, she remembered – was lying when she appeared to accept her daughter's decision, but apparently young Regina had more faith in her mother, because she stepped forward to embrace her. But as the memory figures wrapped their arms around each other, the previously silent Regina rushed forward and once again began clawing furiously at the figures. At first Emma thought Regina was unleashing her fury on her mother, but as the women separated Emma realized with horror that Regina was attacking her own figure. "STOP HER!" She screamed, tears streaming down her face.

"Regina," Emma said softly. Regina spun suddenly and flew at Emma, knocking them both to the ground. Their limbs flew in a tangled fury and Emma was momentarily too shocked and disoriented to make sense of anything. Then she saw the flash of a blade and instinct quickly took over. Being a much more experienced fighter, it was a matter of seconds before Emma had Regina pinned, the blade at her throat. She felt Regina trying to gain control of the knife and she fought, realizing – almost too late – that Regina was not pushing the knife away, but rather pulling it _towards_ her. Emma managed to pull the knife out of her grasp, breathless, just as blood began to trickle from where the point had pierced Regina's skin.

"Coward," Regina hissed, panting slightly from exertion.

"I came to rescue you, not kill you," Emma said, standing up and carefully tucking the blade up her sleeve. She noticed that the scene around her was frozen but she didn't dare take her eyes off Regina in case she was planning another attack.

Regina raised herself up slowly, laughing mirthlessly. "Rescue me? You're the reason I'm here. You and that fucking insect."

"You're blaming _me_?" Emma said, incredulous. "Oh, that's rich. I had nothing to do with you getting sent here and you know it. But I suppose it runs in the family, _grandma_. You blame my mother for nothing more than being a gullible child-"

Regina launched herself at Emma, a hurricane of unrestrained fury. Emma was taken completely off guard. She reacted a split second too late and Regina slammed her into the ground hard. Maybe she lacked Emma's fighting experience, but as Emma looked up into her eyes she realized that Regina had completely lost control. She raised her fist, driving it down at Emma's face, and Emma knew she wouldn't be regaining the upper hand in this fight. Just as she came to the grim realization, wondering vaguely if Regina would actually kill her, she felt a violent pulse and Regina went flying, landing sprawled on her back on the other side of the stable.

Emma propped herself up on her elbows to look at Regina. Both women wore stunned expressions. As Emma watched, Regina's expression relaxed and became blank, and finally Emma saw the glint of a tear sliding down across her temple and into her dark tangled hair. Emma felt her heart sink. How could she have been so cruel? This woman risked her life to save Henry and nearly lost it. She sacrificed every ounce of power she had to send Emma back to him. And what was her reward? She was stuck in magical prison that made her relive every agonizing detail of her past over and over until it drove her mad, with no hope of escape because her sacrifice had left her powerless. Not to mention everyone thought she was dead.

"Regina, I'm sorry, I-"

Regina shook her head, muttering as she did. "You have no idea. No idea. I trusted her. I took care of her. And she took everything…"

"Regina honey!" A voice called. Emma turned, shocked to see that the scene around them had changed and she hadn't even noticed.

She heard a groan and turned her head to see Regina rolling onto her side with her hand pressed over her ears, slowly drawing her legs up to her chest. "No," she whimpered. "No, not this. Not this." Emma couldn't help her gnawing curiosity. She sat up and watched as Regina's past unfolded before her.

**Well really, it's not like I could actually kill my favourite character *sigh*. Are we all happy now? Can't wait for you guys to read my extra long chapter 30 :)**


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

**I've written this chapter as a flashback so I can give you guys all the details and avoid the confusion of trying to differentiate between past and present characters. Just assume that everything that happens in this chapter, Emma is watching. I'll write about her reaction to everything later.**

"Regina honey! Don't be gone long, dinner is almost ready!" Henry called.

"Ok Daddy!" Regina called back. She raced down the valley slope, willing her feet not to slip. She knew if she got her dress dirty her mother would be furious, especially right before dinner, but the risk was worth it.

She made it to the bottom of the slope and took off across the sprawling valley, urging her legs to move faster. It was the height of summer and everything was in bloom, filling the valley with a lush scent that Regina breathed in hungrily. There was a slight breeze in the air but as Regina ran it roared in her ears and whipped through her hair, the long dark strands trailing behind her like a banner. She knew the wind was knotting her hair into tangles, and her nursemaid would fret over them later, but she didn't care. Inside she was lonely and often miserable, but outside she was free and she savoured the feeling.

Across the valley she reached another slope, this one even steeper, which would carry her up to the orchard. She climbed rapidly, breathing heavily from exertion, until she saw what she was looking for. She slowed her pace, cresting the hill with a grin, and made her way slowly towards her apple tree.

It was the only apple tree in the vast orchard. Regina often wondered how it came to be the only one of its kind here; after all, its fruit was by far the most delicious. 'It's lonely, just like I am,' Regina had thought upon seeing it for the first time. She had adopted it then, spending countless hours lounging under the shade of its leaves and munching on the fruit from its branches. As she thought about the taste her mouth began to water, and she decided a sweet treat before dinner would be perfect. No one would ever know.

But as she approached she saw that the lowest branches had been picked clean. She walked around it, carefully scanning the branches, and finally found the lowest one that still carried fruit. She reached up her hand, stretching as far as she could, and jumped. Try as she might, the apple was too far to reach. Disappointed and frustrated, Regina sat down with a huff. Between the soft breeze and the warmth of the late afternoon sun, it didn't take long for Regina to feel peaceful once again. She closed her eyes, the ghost of a smile on her lips. Just as she was thinking she should head back for dinner, she heard a voice overhead say, "Is this what you wanted?"

She looked up, startled, but her gaze was quickly drawn back down as an apple landed in her lap with a soft thud. She picked it up, looking at it curiously, and looked up into the tree again. She saw a young boy climbing down, dropping lightly to the ground. As he stood Regina looked up at him, the low-hanging sun forcing her to squint and making it almost impossible for her to make out his features clearly. She could see that he was about the same age as her – around 10 years old – and he had short, chestnut brown hair. His clothes were covered in dust and his hands were dirty. Regina wrinkled her nose slightly. His skin was only lightly sun kissed and she suspected he was the son of a house servant.

"What were you doing up there?" Regina asked, gesturing to the tree.

"Getting you an apple. I saw you flailing around trying to get one." He grinned.

"I was not flailing!" Regina said, indignant, rising to her feet with the apple still clutched in her hand.

The boy stretched his hand up high and began jumping up and down, mocking Regina's efforts. He laughed as he looked down at Regina's angry expression. "They stand for health and wisdom, you know." The comment was so unexpected that it extinguished Regina's anger, replacing it with confusion. "Apples. They're a symbol of health and wisdom. An excellent choice, m'lady." He smiled and lowered himself into a deep bow. When he straightened up he was surprised to see Regina had vanished. He glanced around and saw her making her way back to the valley, munching slowly on the apple. He sighed.

* * *

Regina made her way slowly up the hill, feeling an odd sensation in the pit of her stomach. She tried to tell herself that she was just being silly, but her body refused to listen. As she continued to climb she felt herself slowing down, trying to supress her anxiety and unwilling to identify its source. As she crested the hill she felt something in her sink as the apple tree came into view, looking just as lonely and out of place as ever. She frowned, feeling annoyed and –though she wouldn't admit it – disappointed. She walked forward, her eagerness gone.

"Hi." Regina's gaze snapped up and she saw the servant boy step out from behind a nearby tree. He was as dusty as she remembered but at least this time his hands were clean. She looked up at his big grin and felt her stomach flip, but ignored it. 'You're just not used to talking to other kids,' she told herself. She felt annoyed; this was her spot, her only means of escape, the only time she could ever be alone without feeling lonely, and here was a servant kid intruding on her sanctuary and making her feel funny. Her feelings must have shown on her face despite her attempt at keeping a neutral expression because the boy stopped in his tracks, his grin vanishing.

Regina thought he was going to simply turn and leave and suddenly she felt panicked. "The orchard is big enough for both of us," she said, then mentally cringed. Not the message she was trying to send. "Um…" Regina said, scrambling for something more friendly to say. "What's your name?" She was forced to raise her voice slightly because they were too far apart for a casual conversation.

"Daniel," he said, making no move to approach her. She sighed and stomped over to him, closing the gap between them. He smiled. "I suppose I don't need to ask who you are, but it's the polite thing to do, right?"

"I'm Regina."

He nodded. "Lady Cora's daughter, right?" Regina nodded, unable to meet his eyes. She felt awkward admitting that her mother was the woman who gave Daniel's parents their orders. When she glanced at him, though, he was still smiling.

"How did you get up in that tree yesterday?" She asked, feeling a little bolder.

"You come out here every day and you've never climbed one of the trees?" He asked, shocked.

"How do you know I come out here every day?"

Daniel's cheeks flush and he quickly looked down, suddenly fascinated by his boots. "My dad works in the stables." Regina nodded. The stables weren't far from the orchard and the apple tree was probably visible from there.

She took a step forward, bringing her close to Daniel. He looked at her, eyes widening a little, and she looked straight into his eyes. "Teach me." They both smiled.

* * *

"No fair! You had a head start!" Regina whined, shoving Daniel playfully. "I said count to three!"

"I did!" Daniel insisted.

"Yeah, while you were running!" Daniel howled with laughter. Even in her annoyance Regina couldn't resist; she felt her own laughter bubbling up and pretty soon both children were laughing hysterically.

Still chuckling softly, Daniel looked up at the ladder behind him. He turned back to Regina and raised his eyebrows. "Dare you to jump," he said with a smirk.

"No way!" But as she looked into Daniel's gleaming, dark blue eyes she knew he would get his way. He always did. With a little more coaxing, she grabbed hold of the ladder and began to climb, Daniel following close behind.

She pulled herself up into the stable loft, turning to watch Daniel do the same. He scurried past her and they hurried across to the other side of the loft. Regina's nose wrinkled slightly at the smell from the horses, but she quickly hid her disgust. They spent enough time on Regina's territory; it was about time she reciprocated. Daniel crouched down on the edge of the loft and held out his hand to Regina. She crouched down next to him, looking down nervously, and took his hand. "Ready?" He asked. "I'll count to three. For real this time," he added, and they both laughed. Regina looked at him and smiled. She felt as though his excitement and courage were seeping into her through their clasped hands. He started counting slowly, and when he shouted "THREE!" they both leapt.

Regina barely had time to register the swooping sensation in her stomach before she was completely buried in hay. She stretched her arms up, digging herself out, the hay scratching at her bare hands. When she emerged she looked around and saw Daniel looking at her with a huge grin on his face. He looked ridiculous with stalks of hay sticking out his hair. As he began to laugh she realized she must look equally ridiculous and joined in his laughter.

"What do you think you're doing? Get down here this instant." Regina froze, feeling her heart pound. "Now, Regina!" Regina struggled to make her way to the edge of the mountainous hay pile where she quickly slid down, landing clumsily at the bottom. She looked up at her mother, glaring down at her. "Look what you've done. Your dress is filthy."

"Mother, please, I'm sorry. I didn't know." Regina struggled to keep her voice steady but she could feel tears pricking her eyes.

She heard hay shifting and looked over to see Daniel sliding to the ground much more gracefully than Regina had. Cora looked at the boy, her eyes dark. "I'd like to be alone with my daughter now. Run along and play." Her voice dripped honey, but Regina knew it was an act, and she could see that Daniel did too. But he had no choice, so he turned and hurried out of the stable, casting one last worry-filled glance at Regina before disappearing around the door. She felt her heart sink as he disappeared from sight, fear settling in.

"How many times do I have to tell you before you understand? A lady must always be proper. A lady does not frolic about in animal feed. Perhaps this time the lesson will sink in." Once again her voice was soft and sweet, but Regina heard the cold fury behind it. "Turn around."

"Please, no. I didn't mean to get dirty. Please, mother, don't." Regina began to cry, unable to hold back her tears.

"Turn around," Cora hissed. Regina continued to beg but Cora simply grabbed her roughly by the arm and forced her to turn towards the hay pile. She pulled up and Regina was forced to her knees. She was shaking so badly she thought she might collapse. "Take off your jacket," Cora ordered. This time Regina complied, tossing the jacket aside. She felt Cora's fingers tugging at the corset of Regina's dress, untying it to expose the bare flesh of her back. Regina was sobbing now.

"Cora, what are you doing?" Regina didn't dare turn her head towards the door. She recognized her father's voice and she knew there was no point appealing to him.

"I'm teaching our daughter a lesson about playing in filthy stables. Just look at her dress. This is for her own good."

"Cora, don't do this. How could Regina know that her dress would get dirty from the hay? She was just playing. Let's put her to bed without dinner and I'm sure she won't do it again now that she knows. Right, Regina?" Regina nodded, but she knew it was no use. She had long ago given up hope that her father would rescue her from her nightmare. All she wanted was for the pain to come quickly so it would be over and she could feel the comforting warmth of his arms around her.

"Stay out of this, Henry. This is between me and my daughter." Regina sobbed, struggling to remain on her knees. She closed her eyes, imagining Cora's hand gripped firmly around the bullwhip, raising her arm to ready the first strike. But it didn't come. "Let me go, you fool!"

Regina sucked in a breath, still not daring to turn around. "I won't let you do this, Cora. This wasn't Regina's fault." Henry's voice was as soft as ever, but there was a fierceness in it that Regina had never heard before. Despite her better judgement she felt a tiny ray of hope slip through her despair. This time might be different. This time Henry might actually save her. She chanced a glance behind her.

Henry had his had wrapped firmly around Cora's wrist, the one that held the whip. She raised her hand to knock him away with her magic, but he grabbed that hand too. She managed to flick her fingers feebly and Henry grunted from the magical blow, but he didn't relinquish his grip. "How dare you interfere, you pathetic fool! Get off me! She must be punished!"

"No, not this time Cora." Regina watched, stunned, as her parents struggled for control. Cora shouted and cursed but Henry held firm. Regina's mind screamed at her body to run, to get away while she had a chance, but she stayed rooted to the spot. It didn't matter if she got away. Cora would find her and the punishment would be far worse. So she watched the struggled, praying to the gods that Henry would save her. And from her vantage point she saw it first: Cora managed to work enough of her hand free to send out a spell that sent Henry flying. He landed hard on the stable floor.

"Turn around," Cora panted, brushing loose strands of hair from her face. Regina collapsed, her strength vanishing as she began to sob again, shaking too badly to even prop herself up. Cora reached down and pulled her up and pushed her into the hay bale, leaving her bare back exposed once again. Regina heard the end of the whip hit the straw floor and struggled to regain control of her breathing before the pain seared through her.

There was a loud thud and a yell from Cora, and Regina spun to see Henry struggling with her again, this time pinning her forcefully to the stable door. She screamed and cursed but Henry held her firmly. "Run, Regina!" He shouted. In control of her body once more, Regina rose shakily to her feet. She took one last look at Henry before racing towards the barn door, fearing her weakened limbs would give out before she could put any distance between herself and her mother.

As she neared the stable door, there was a loud howl of pain and Regina looked back instinctively. She had a split second view of her mother's hand raised high and glowing with magical energy, her father's hand gripping her wrist, before there was an impossibly loud crack and Regina's mind exploded with pain. She collapsed to the ground with an agonized wail. "Look what you made me do!" She heard Cora scream. "Look at her! Look what you've done!"

* * *

Daniel stumbled, clawing at the grass to keep his footing as he raced up the steep hill. He wasn't supposed to be outside. It was Thursday and there was a lot of work to do in the Stables to get ready for Cora's weekend riding trip with several important visitors, but he didn't care. Guilt was eating at him. Every time he closed his eyes all her could see was Regina's terrified expression. He had to see her, had to make sure she was okay…had to make sure she didn't hate him.

When he at last reached the top of the hill and saw the apple tree, his heart sank. Then he lowered his gaze and saw Regina, sitting under the tree absent-mindedly plucking blades of grass. He hesitated, unsure exactly what he wanted to say, but he was spared the effort. Regina noticed him and he heard her give a small gasp. She stood, turning away from him, and ducked behind the tree. Daniel frowned, unsure what to make of this reaction.

"Regina, I know you're there," he said, following her around the tree. She edged away, keeping her back to him. Daniel had to bite his cheek to keep from chuckling as they slowly circled the tree. Finally he reached out and gently grabbed her arm. "Regina, listen to me. I'm sorry I left you. I should have stayed or gone for help or…something," he finished, words failing him again.

"Go away!" Regina said, unable to move any further as Daniel continued to clutch her arm.

"Please don't be mad at me. I didn't know you would get in so much trouble for getting dirty. I never should have made you jump. Regina, please…"

"Just leave me alone," she said, but the intensity was waning. Daniel seized the opportunity. He put his hand on her shoulder and pulled gently to make her face him.

Regina's brain scrambled for some solution, but she came up blank. She knew that the only way to make Daniel leave would be to convince him that she was angry with him, and she couldn't do that. She couldn't let him carry guilt for something that wasn't his fault. There was no choice. She turned quickly, before she could change her mind, hanging her head so her hair fell in curtains. Her heart was pounding furiously as she slowly lifted her head to look up at Daniel, her hair falling back and away from her face. Daniel gasped.

Regina shook her head, pulling away from Daniel. "She couldn't fix it!" She wailed. "She always fixes it, always makes the scars go away with her magic, but she did this with magic and she couldn't undo it! Now I'm ugly!"

Daniel chuckled, and the sound was so unexpected that Regina abruptly stopped crying to look at him, sure she had heard wrong. But when she turned around Daniel was grinning, and she glared at him furiously. "Are you…_laughing_?"

"It'll heal, you know," he said.

"And leave a scar! A _permanent_ scar! I'll never look the same. I'll be ugly! You think that's funny?"

"I think it's funny that you think one little scar is enough to erase all your beauty."

Once again the unexpectedness of his comment disarmed Regina. "No one will ever want to marry me. No one…will ever want to kiss me." But the force was gone from her words and it came out slightly breathy.

"That's ok."

"What do you mean?"

Daniel shrugged. "It just is." Regina stared at him, lost for words. He fidgeted for a moment, then asked, "Does it still hurt?" There was worry in his eyes now as they settled on the stitched wound on her upper lip.

Regina shook her head, her cheeks flushed. "Not anymore." They both grinned.

**What? o.O We all know that's how it happened. This woman's life is just tragic X'(**


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

**Baelfire/Regina? Interesting...but no :P Gave me another idea though, so thanks!**

Emma turned to look at Regina, who was lying on her side with her back to Emma, completely silent. "Does Snow know?" Emma asked quietly, wiping her tears on the back of her sleeve.

"Know what? That she killed my best friend? What does it matter?" She spat the words, sounding disgusted. She pushed herself up into a sitting position, turning her back on the now frozen memory figures.

Emma stood up and walked over to Regina. "I meant it when I said I was here to rescue you. Come on."

Regina shook her head, looking down at her hands, and Emma realized she was clutching something. "I don't know if I can," she whispered.

Emma looked down at Regina's hands and saw a piece of folded paper. "Henry told me there's a page missing from his book. He thought you must have kept it."

"It's the only picture I have. There are other illustrations in the book, of him as an adult, but...none of them actually look like him." She held up the paper and Emma took it, carefully unfolding it. It was a full-page illustration of a young Daniel, exactly as he looked frozen next to Emma. She struggled to suppress her tears, knowing they wouldn't help Regina. She folded the page up and handed it back to Regina, who tucked it inside her coat as though it were a precious gem.

"I know this is hard for you. But this isn't real, Regina. Everything you're seeing here exists in your memory. You'll still have that when we leave. This is _torture_. Please come with me." Emma held out her hand.

Regina looked up at Emma, who was surprised to see that her expression was hard and cold. "I wouldn't get used to my power, Miss Swan. I fully intend to reclaim it from you." She stood up, ignoring Emma's hand. "Now then, how do we get out of here?"

Emma waved her hand in front of Regina, annoyed, then held it out again. If Regina wanted this rescue she was going to have to reach out and take it. They glared at each other, waging a silent battle of wills. Emma smirked, raising an eyebrow, and Regina took Emma's hand with a lot more force that was really necessary.

Emma closed her eyes, focusing all of her mental energy on picturing the apartment that she shared with Snow. When she opened her eyes she expected to see it for real, but nothing had changed. Except for the smugness that had crept onto Regina's face. "I don't get it. He said getting back would be simple."

Regina scoffed. "Great. Send in the woman who didn't even _believe_ in magic a week ago and tell her it'll be _simple_." She shook her head and Emma felt her frustration mounting. Regina's ability to make Emma want to cry for her and then strangle her in the same breath was astounding. "Lesson number one: simple and easy are polar opposites in the world of magic. The more simple an act of magic, the more difficult it is to perform. Why do you think incantations and rituals are so popular?" She shook her head again. "Forget it, I might as well be speaking gibberish."

"Just tell me what I need to do to get us out of here," Emma said, her patience wearing thin.

"Well for starters you have to believe in what you're trying to do."

"I do believe," Emma said through gritted teeth.

"You believe it will work because someone told you it would." She paused, eyes narrowing. "Who was it? How did you even get here?"

"'Would you like a tour or shall we just get on with it?'" Emma quoted Regina's words in a mocking tone.

"Fine," Regina drawled. "It isn't enough to trust what someone else tells you will or won't work. You have to believe that the power inside you is strong enough to do what you need it to do. You have to believe that what you're trying to do _will_ succeed simply because you command it."

"Well at least now I know why you were so powerful." Regina narrowed her eyes, sensing the insult but unable to see it. "Magic is all ego."

She smirked. "Come, then, my knight in shining armour. Take us out of here."

Emma rolled her eyes, then closed them. She focused again on the apartment, trying to focus on Regina's words instead of her mocking tone. She suspected she should feel something, like she had when she'd magically tossed Regina across the stable, but all she felt was annoyed, frustrated and impatient. She wouldn't allow herself to worry. Not yet, anyway.

Regina sighed and Emma opened her eyes to see that nothing had changed. "Why isn't it working?"

"Obviously you don't believe. You can't just shut your eyes and expect the magic to work for you. You have to take control of it."

"Maybe if I had a better teacher…"

"Don't blame me for your failure. I told you simple spells are difficult and this is exactly why. There's no instruction manual. No one can _teach_ you how to perform it properly. You just have to reach down and _do it_."

"I'm trying!"

"Not hard enough."

"I can't believe you're criticizing me!"

"What do you mean you can't believe it? I'm telling you you're doing it wrong, which you clearly are otherwise we wouldn't be here anymore. That's not criticism."

"Well it's not helpful! Tell me what I have to do!"

"I just told you, there are no instructions! This isn't an incantation! It's barely even a spell!"

"Well then what the hell is it? Either you help me or we can spend the rest of our lives together exploring your memories! Is that what you want?"

"Maybe it is! At least then you'd see what a selfish bitch your saint of a mother really is." Regina's face was so close to Emma's now that she could count her eyelashes. They were both clenching their fists, fighting against the urge to strangle each other.

"You take that back," Emma said warningly.

"No parent is perfect, Miss Swan. But I guess you wouldn't know that."

"BECAUSE OF YOU!" Emma bellowed. She felt something shift suddenly inside of her and she and Regina were knocked to the ground, hitting their heads hard. When Emma opened her eyes, rubbing the back of her head as she sat up, she looked around and realized that she and Regina were back in Snow's apartment. Jefferson's hat was sitting between them.

"Why are we here?" Regina breathed.

Emma scoffed, giving her an incredulous look. "You're complaining about where I brought you? Fuck, what is your aversion to gratitude?" Regina rose quickly to her feet and headed for the door. "Oh, by all means, walk outside alone with no weapon and no magic to protect yourself. It was nice knowing you."

Regina froze, hand hovering over the door knob. She flexed her hand, knowing Emma made a good point but wanting desperately to leave. She was spared the trouble of making a decision when the door swung open. Regina jumped back, startled, and looked up at the new arrival. Her blood ran cold and she felt as though everything inside her had turned to cold, black stone. "You're back. I'm so relieved." Snow's eyes flicked back and forth between Regina and Emma, and Regina knew her relief was for her daughter, not her stepmother.

Regina shuddered, fighting the visceral reaction in her gut upon seeing the focus of her deepest loathing. She turned her back to Snow and quickly marched in the opposite direction. As she passed the kitchen she spotted a partially full bottle of whisky and grabbed it, carrying it with her to the guest room at the end of the hall. She slammed the door behind her, making Snow jump.

"Should we be worried?" Snow asked Emma.

"For her or for us?" Emma asked, still rubbing the back of her head.

* * *

"Shouldn't somebody check on her?" Snow said, still staring in the direction of the guest bedroom. She, James, Emma and August were gathered in the living room, waiting for Rumplestiltskin to arrive with a status update.

"We gave her back her freedom. What she does with it now is her choice. If she wants to drink herself into oblivion, so be it." Emma was stretched out on the couch, one arm behind her head and the other resting comfortably on her stomach. To anyone else she might look relaxed, but Snow knew that a truly calm Emma was a ball of energy, always in motion. This stillness only came from a sense of worry and helplessness.

"How can you say that? Do you really want to tell Henry that you brought her back only to have something bad happen to her _again_?"

"He doesn't know she's alive," Emma said quietly.

Snow stared at her, stunned. James and August mirrored her expression. Emma could feel their eyes burning holes in her and she squirmed slightly. "How could you not tell him? I thought you went to talk to him before you went looking for her?"

Emma sat up, annoyed that she had to justify her parental decisions yet again. "You have no idea what she's been through. She wasn't the most mentally stable person to begin with, and now she's been living in a prison that forced her to relive her past day after day. Do you know what that's like? Seeing the most horrible moments of your life playing out in front of you again and again? Seeing the things you lost, things you'd give anything to have back, and not being able to touch them? Being so close, seeing them as though they're actually real, and yet still just as separate from them as any other memory?" August swallowed hard, feeling a chill run down his spine. "Either she learns to live with what she's been through or she doesn't, but it has to be her choice. If she can pull herself together, she can see Henry. Either he gets a happy reunion with her or he goes on living with his grief. He doesn't need to know any more than that." Emma looked at each of them as though daring somebody to defy her. They were all silent.

There was a loud crash from the guest room and everyone was on their feet instantly. Emma and James raced to the room, Emma arriving first. She shoved open the door and James grabbed her around the waist, pulling her back. She looked down and saw that he had saved her from marching on shards of broken glass in bare feet. She looked up and saw Regina, sitting cross legged on the bed, picking absent-mindedly at a loose thread on the comforter. Emma was reminded forcefully of the young girl, picking grass from under had apple tree. "I finished. No garbage in here," she slurred, her voice quiet. Emma took a closer look and realized what had happened: Regina had thrown the whisky bottle at the door.

Emma turned to James and motioned with her head. He nodded and led the way back to the living room, Emma closing the bedroom door behind her. "Well, she's drunk," she said, collapsing onto the couch again.

"Really?" August asked. He couldn't help casting a curious glance down the hall.

"She's not a zoo animal, August," Snow scolded. August's cheeks flushed and he looked down at his hands, embarrassed. Emma burst out laughing and August looked up at her with a grin. Snow's ability to make August act like a little boy was astounding.

There was a knock at the door. Snow stood up to answer it, but Emma shouted "Come in!" before she could take more than two steps. Rumplestiltskin walked in, looking as cheerful and unassuming as ever. "Evening, Your Majesty." He looked over her shoulder at Emma, who gave a quick two-fingered wave as a greeting. "You made it back I see. Can I assume that our friend has returned? Ah, yes. Hello, dear."

"What…the fuck…is _he_ doing here?"

**Just so everyone knows, I don't drink, so I have NO CLUE how drunk someone would actually be after a full bottle of whisky, and I have no idea how coherent someone would be when confronted with circumstances that force them to concentrate. So if you notice any major inconsistencies in how Regina is acting, please just ignore them. Or feel free to attribute them to her lack of sanity, lol. I'm so glad to hear you're all enjoying the story so much, and I'm SUPER relieved that you like what I've done with Rumple. I hope I can keep it up :) Somebody asked if I'd keep this going through the hiatus, and who knows? The ideas just keep coming!**


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

**Thanks for the info Pny Kiwi! Kinda figured that but I wasn't sure...Ah well. Regina can handle her alcohol :P Changed it to a 'partially full' bottle, if that makes it any better.**

Rumple's appearance seemed to have a sobering effect on Regina, although physically she was still unsteady and Emma could see her leaning heavily on the kitchen counter. Her eyes were slightly bloodshot but it only made her gaze that much more menacing as she glared at Rumple, who didn't seem the list bit affected. "Lovely to see you again."

Regina scoffed. She looked at Emma. "How the hell could you trust him? How many times does he have to screw you over before you get it?" The words came out slightly slurred but that didn't detract from the incredulidity in them.

"He was being controlled by the Blue Fairy. He wasn't acting of his own free will. You're gonna have to start trusting us if you want to stay here. We all need to trust each other now." Emma worried Regina might argue, but she was silent. She walked over to the couch, stumbling several times and nearly falling. Everyone knew better than to attempt to help her, though Snow seemed to be struggling against the urge. Regina lifted Emma's legs up – much higher than was necessary – and dropped them to the floor before collapsing heavily into the seat. Emma glared at her, having nearly toppled off the couch, but didn't say anything as she sat up and curled her legs underneath her. James bowed his head low, hiding his face as he struggled not to laugh. Rumple watched the scene, looking thoroughly amused.

"Well I assume you came here for something. What do you want?" Regina said, her words coming out more or less clear, though it was obviously a challenging task.

"I think we need to cut you off," August said, grinning. He glanced at James, who returned the grin. Snow, sitting between them, rolled her eyes and shook her head. Regina ignored all three of them.

"There are strangers in our midst." Everyone turned to Rumple, caught off guard by his comment. It seemed completely out of place in their conversation, and everyone seemed to be struggling to understand it.

Even in her inebriated state, Regina still managed to catch on first. "That's impossible!" She started to say something but it came out completely unintelligable. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes, and said very slowly, "The barrier was separate from the curse; it shouldn't have broken."

"Why would I separate it from the curse when it was so much easier to use the existing magic as a stable foundation? No, my dear, your barrier disappeared the moment the curse did."

"What barrier are you talking about? There's still a barrier preventing us from leaving, and one keeping the magic in town. How many spells did you put over this place?" Emma's head was starting to spin and she was losing patience. She hated magic. She was used to cold hard facts and tangible evidence, something that was sorely lacking in Storybrooke.

"From what I can gather, the Blue Fairy cast a spell over Storybrooke preventing magic from leaving. My guess is that she knew Regina would bring over a small supply of magic and didn't want it escaping town. The barrier now prevents any sort of magic from escaping. The barrier to which – what exactly is your title now?" He tilted his head, brow furrowed. "I believe Snow White is queen now, is that correct?"

"Get on with it," Regina said, sounding more bored than angry. Snow glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. Regina might be drunk, but to see her brush aside a comment on her lack of power was shocking. This wasn't the time to explore it, though, so Snow remained silent and returned her eyes to Rumple.

"The barrier to which _Regina_ and I are referring is one which I put in place after our arrival in Storybrooke. At her request, of course. It prevented anyone from leaving by filling them with a vague sense of unease or dread, and prevented strangers from entering, the catch being that anyone who knew about the curse, or was accompanied by one such individual, could pass through unaffected. It broke along with the curse."

"So strangers used to be able to come here?" Emma asked. Regina sighed but gave no reply.

"But what about the families who left? Two of them died trying to leave. They didn't say anything about a sense of dread." Snow was looking back and forth from Regina to Rumple.

"Someone died?" Rumple asked, genuinely curious. Emma noted that he didn't sound particularly concerned, but she reminded herself not to expect miracles.

"Don't play your stupid games. You know perfectly well what happens to anyone who tries to leave town." Regina shook her head, then made a face suggesting she regretted the motion.

"Leaving town will eventually take them beyond the reach of the curse. With their real memories erased and no magic to provide them with a false identity, anyone who leaves would lose their identity entirely, suffering severe mental trauma. Why would I design the curse the kill anyone who left town? What purpose could that possibly serve?" Rumple looked down at Regina, looking annoyed, and she stared back at him looking shocked.

"Aur..." she struggled with the name, "Aurora…she died when she left town. I thought…that's why I wanted the barrier!"

"Oh, be honest dearie, that spell had nothing to do with keeping anyone _in_."

"It's at least part of the reason," Emma said, sensing the truth in Regina's words. She couldn't help her growing curiosity. Judging by the looks on Snow, James, and August's faces, neither could they. The knowledge that Regina had made a deal with Rumple to cast a spell that would _protect_ the townspeople was shocking. 'There's more to the story,' Emma thought.

"Hmm. Interesting. So nice to hear that you didn't want the residents of your town dropping dead."

"Alright, if you didn't intend for anyone to die when they left town, then what happened?" James asked, leaning forward with his arms resting on his knees, his head tilted to look up at Rumple.

"Obviously it was the Blue Fairy. Who else could have done it?" Emma said.

"But why? Why would she risk everyone's lives?" Snow felt her sadness deepening with every new treachery they discovered. August put a comforting hand on her shoulder; he understood better than anyone.

"She risked our lives in that fire. I don't see how this is any different," Emma said with a shrug. She looked at Regina. "Why is she so pissed off at you, anyway? Rumplestiltskin I get, but what did you do to her?"

Regina laughed. "She's one of the only people in this town I _haven't_ pissed off. I'd never even spoken to her before coming to Storybrooke. Talk about iron…ironic," she finished with a soft hiccup.

"It seems the more time we spend comparing notes the less we understand about her," James said.

"We need to take action," Emma said, sitting up eagerly. She and James exchanged a glance, restlessness glinting in their eyes.

"Our first priority is to these strangers in town." Emma looked at Snow, not understanding. "We can't let them just walk around town! What if they run into the Blue Fairy? They're innocent bystanders; they don't deserve to be pulled into this mess."

Emma sighed. "I'll go get rid of them and see what I can do about keeping others out. You," she pointed at Rumple, "stay here. Just everyone stay put until we have a solid plan."

"I should go with you," James said, getting to his feet. Emma looked pointedly from Snow, fidgeting slightly on the couch, to Regina, glaring at Snow from under her dark tangles. James sighed and sat back down.

"Right. I'll be back shortly. Think you can all agree not to kill each other until then?" Emma looked around at the mismatched group as she pulled on her jacket.

"Don't worry, Sheriff. I value my freedom too much for such messiness," Rumple assured her with a grin.

"I make no promises," James said, to which Rumple gave a 'tsk tsk'.

"I'll be in the shower," Regina muttered in a slight sing-song, inspecting the frayed ends of her long hair with a slight frown.

"Right. Good. See you later, then." And she left the apartment.

* * *

Regina stepped into the shower, the heat of the water scorching her skin. She could still feel the alcohol's effects lingering, making every movement difficult, but she was determined to wash away the filth of the barn. The smell of it. The smell of _him_.

Daniel's image rose unbidden in her mind, immune to the numbing effects of the alcohol. Regina's mind flipped randomly through images of him throughout his life. When they first met, under the apple tree. When they first kissed, enjoying a rare trip to the lake on an especially hot day; she remembered how he had stared at her scar, healed at last, and it had made her self-conscious. Her first riding lesson and how she had been terrified of the giant beast, standing taller than both of them. When Daniel first confessed his love and Regina had returned it without a second's hesitation. And of course, that last real kiss they shared. Too brief. If only she had known it was their last…

Regina sank to the ground, his legs simply refusing to hold up the monumental weight of her grief any longer. Her chest tightened painfully and she struggled to breathe, sucking in gasping breaths between heaving sobs. She ran her hands over her face, lacing her fingers into her soaking wet hair, gripping it tightly just to hold onto something. She wanted to feel her fingers dig deeper, rip into her flesh and tear out the agony. It was unbearable. Seeing his face in her memories wasn't enough, was never enough, but seeing him fully formed had been so much worse. To know that even at his most real he still didn't exist, was still beyond her reach…

She let out a gut-wrenching wail that tapered off into gasping sobs. The sound reverberated off the tiled walls of the small shower and Regina knew if would fill the apartment, but she didn't care. Nothing mattered anymore, not her reputation, not being queen, not being mayor, nothing. Her power was gone and even that didn't matter anymore. The only thing she wanted her power for now was to set it free and let it tear her apart, just as the pain always threatened to do but never actually accomplished. It was maddening.

She lowered her hands and wrapped her arms around herself, digging her fingers into the soft flesh of her arms. Her urge to just let her nails sink in, physical pain be damned – how could it be any worse than this? – was almost overwhelming. But as she felt the first hint of pain, Henry's face suddenly replaced Daniel's. His bright, shining eyes staring up at her from under the sheet she was trying to place neatly on his bed; it was a game they used to play when he was young. It often took Regina over an hour to make his bed, but she never discouraged his scurrying around under the covers, pretending to be a spy or a tiger, hiding from the sea witch or searching for buried treasure. Regina wrapped her arms tighter around herself and squeezed her eyes shut, forcing herself to remember, 'He's alive. He's real. I can still touch him.'

It was enough. Regina stood up slowly, carefully, feeling unsteady and now weak from her recent bout of crying. Her head felt like it was stuffed with cotton, but breathing in the hot steam seemed to be clearing it quickly. She grabbed various products and thoroughly scrubbed her whole body and finally her hair, combing out the knots as best she could with her fingers. Untangled it fell nearly to her waist. She could feel the layers of dust and dirt and sweat loosening and washing away and it was surprisingly refreshing. She turned down the hot water, letting the water cool her for a moment before at last shutting it off and stepping out. She wiped the mirror with a corner of the towel and was relieved to see that she looked more or less presentable, the dark circles under her eyes brightened significantly by the rejuvenating shower. "Modern miracle," she muttered, inspecting her hair as she toweled off the excess moisture.

Regina glanced at the door and saw a shadow under it. She sighed, feeling strangely unperturbed. "If you're going to eavesdrop you might as well make yourself useful and go get me some scissors," she said, raising her voice slightly to carry through the wood.

There was a long pause and Regina thought her guest intended to keep silent, but at last she heard Snow's voice say, "I don't think that's a good idea."

"You know you have a razor in here, right?" She glanced in the medicine cabinet. "Several, actually." Silence from the other side of the door. "Just bring me the damn scissors."

**Okay, so I really wanna let you guys knows this because I don't want you holding your breath in anticipation only to be disappointed (also I want to commit myself to this decision before my sappiness gets the better of me) : Daniel is NOT coming back. Daniel died. End of story. Brining characters back from the dead takes away from the emotional impact of their death, IMO. Not to mention Regina is a COMPLETELY different person than she was when she was in love with Daniel, and she always will be even if she does find redemption. I personally think it would be MORE heartbreaking for him to return and see how much she's changed, and all the horrible things she's done. It would only taint her memory and make her that much more heartbroken and bitter (if that's even possible; this woman is just SAD!). So I apologize, I know you read fanfics to satisfy the fantasies that don't get satisfied by the show, but this is one fantasy I refuse to indulge, no matter how much my secret fangirl heart wants to. That being said, plenty of other fangirl fantasies out there ripe for my artistic manipulation XD  
Also, there's a small detail in this chapter that might seem amiss, and it might be a bit confusing to readers. Rest assured it will be addressed. If you don't know what I'm talking about, don't worry, it will be addressed anyway ;)**


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Task complete, Regina stared at herself in the mirror, frowning slightly. She found a large clip to pin up her damp hair, but the only thing she had to wear was the towel wrapped around her, which was just barely long enough to cover everything. She refused to put her filthy, tattered riding clothes back on, though she did fish her treasured illustration out of the jacket and tuck it carefully into a dry, tight fold of the towel. "Thrust into an environment where I am completely lost and out of place, and my next important task is to find clothing. Why is _this_ a recurring theme in my life?" She muttered, recalling her arrival in Storybrooke. She rolled her eyes and pushed aside the memory. Deciding that she was at least covered, she left the washroom and went into the kitchen to find food. Luckily the alcohol was losing its grip in the wake of her emotional turmoil and she found herself quite steady on her feet.

As she walked into the kitchen area, past the living room where everyone was seated, James quickly averted his gaze, feeling slightly embarrassed. August stared unabashedly. Snow shot him a glare and he shrugged. "Never seen her in anything but a suit," he muttered.

"If you'd like I can have Emma bring over some of your clothes," Snow offered.

"My entire wardrobe was destroyed," Regina replied, pulling things out of the fridge to make herself a sandwich. August and James glanced at each other, remembering the destruction they had seen in Regina's room.

"Oh. Maybe we can find something here that will fit." Snow knew she was laying the honey on thick and she mentally kicked herself for it, but she had no idea how to act. Regina had been through a terrible ordeal and was clearly deeply affected by it, and yet she still carried herself like the woman who had tried so many times before to ruin her life, the woman who cursed an entire world of people to satisfy her own selfish desires. Not to mention her hatred for Snow was only getting stronger.

"This fits," Regina said with a wink. 'Damn that was good whisky,' she thought with a sharp shake of her head.

Snow had nothing to say to this. She wasn't sure where the alcohol ended and the madness of imprisonment began with Regina. Unsure how to proceed, Snow simply watched Regina as she made herself something to eat, neatly chopping tomatoes and ripping up lettuce, even tidying up before she dug in. As she ate she stared at Snow, who wondered – certainly not for the first time – what was going on behind those dark eyes. She wondered how many 'versions' of Regina there were now, and whether any of them represented the real woman underneath.

Certainly the innocent youth Snow had first met was gone. The doting stepmother as well. The lonely, miserable wife? She'd certainly freed herself from that burden. The Evil Queen made Snow pause. Her hatred still burned, anyone could see that, but was she still a cold-blooded murderer? Surely not now, but Snow couldn't be certain, couldn't fully trust her. The Mayor was still alive and well judging by the bite of authority if Regina's voice. Interestingly Snow could recall that she had never been so authoritative in the Enchanted Forest, but perhaps that was because the power she exuded made that unnecessary. She recalled a sort of playfulness in the Evil Queen that seemed to have resurfaced in Regina, but Snow brushed it off as the alcohol. So what new versions had formed? Was there true madness in Regina now? Was there any softness left in her, or had the last of it been hardened to stone in her prison? So many questions, and as Snow gazed into Regina's eyes she found no answers, except that Regina most _certainly_ still loathed her.

The door opened and Snow jumped, startled at the sudden interruption of her thoughts. She saw Emma enter, staring at Regina as she hung up her jacket. "You couldn't get her some clothes?" She asked, approaching the group in the living room.

"You just missed that little chat," Regina said, her words slightly muffled by her hand over her mouth, which was full of food.

Rumple, who had so far been ignoring everyone as he sat cross-legged on the floor, gave a quick flick of his wrist and suddenly Regina was fully dressed in a black suit with a magenta blouse underneath. "Too formal," she said, tucking the last bit of her sandwich into her mouth. Rumple smirked and gave a more extravagant flourish and Regina was wearing sweats and an oversized hoodie. "Very funny," she mumbled. Rumple gave one last wave and she was wearing casual fitting dark jeans and a dark, form-fitting t-shirt. She looked down at herself and nodded.

"Lovely. Any requests for the hair?" Rumple asked, grinning mischievously.

She swallowed quickly. "Don't you dare," she said warningly.

Emma gave a wave of her hand and Regina's hair was suddenly hanging loose around her shoulders – the clip having vanished – dry and silky. She gaped at Emma. Emma tilter her head, curious. "Huh. I didn't mean to make it shorter…" She wondered if she was simply projecting the style she was so accustomed to seeing on Regina, but she quickly realized Regina's hair was still several inches longer than Emma had ever seen it.

"Ah," Snow said, recalling the scissors. "She cut it."

"How the hell did you do that?" Regina breathed, running her fingers through her hair. It was smooth and tangle free, styled just the way she liked it. "Gods I missed being able to do this."

"All you need is ego, right?" She smirked, and Regina returned it.

"Nothing like a new hairdo to bring enemies together," Rumple said with a grin, stretching his legs out in front of him.

And suddenly it struck Emma, and she kicked herself for not noticing earlier. How could she not have seen it, not made the connection? Maybe the events of the past few days made it seem as though much more time had passed, but as she looked back she realized Regina had only been gone a couple days. So why was her hair so much longer? Why had it been so long when Emma found her? She stared at Regina, mouth slightly open, horror filling her. Regina stared back, one hand running slowly through her hair, and she knew exactly what conclusion Emma had come to. "Took you long enough," she hissed, her voice too low for the others to hear.

Emma shook her head. They didn't have time for this. "The strangers are gone. I told them the town was evacuated during the fire and I put up a 'Road Closed' sign. Should do the trick. What's our next move?"

"I want my magic back," Regina said before anyone else could answer.

"You can have it," Emma said, which clearly startled Regina. She'd expected a fight. Emma laughed. "I don't want anything to do with this crap! Spells, enchantments, potions, it's not me. You want your magic back, take it." She held out her hands.

"Wait!" Snow said, nearly tripping in her haste to get between them before they could clasp hands. "The only way to give her power back is to sacrifice all of your power, the same way she did for you."

"So?" Emma said. Regina was fuming at the interruption.

"So there's no way to separate what was always yours and what used to be Regina's." When she saw that Emma still didn't understand, she huffed in exasperation. "You'll lose your ability to detect lies. Do you really want to hand that over to her?"

"So much for 'we all need to trust each other'," Regina muttered, leaning back against the counter.

Emma sighed, her hands dropping to her sides. "You don't want her to have her magic back at all, do you?"

"No, I don't." Regina raised her eyebrows at Snow's blatant honesty. "But that's not the point. I'm telling you the truth and you know it." The three women stood staring at each other, at a loss for what to do next.

"What's that, dearies? Help, you say? I thought you'd never ask!" Rumple leapt to his feet, clapping his hands together in delight. "I can put you both to rights in no time!"

"For a price," Regina added.

Rumple gave an exaggerated frown. "You insult me. No, this I do for free."

"Nothing is ever free with you," Regina said slowly, her eyes narrowing. Emma and Snow shared her suspicions.

Rumple placed a hand over his heart and raised the other in front of him, straightening himself up to his full height. "I solemnly swear I will restore the magic that is rightfully yours and leave Miss Swan with the magic which is rightfully hers. At no cost to you or anyone else."

Emma nodded, verifying the truth in his words. Regina shook her head. "I don't trust him."

"He's your only hope of getting your magic back. And he _is_ telling the truth."

"Why would he want me to have my magic back? Think about it, Emma!" Emma bit her cheek but she couldn't quite keep from smiling. Regina shook her head. "What?"

"I just always thought you forgot my first name," she said with a chuckle. She heard August echo it from the living room. Regina threw her hands up in exasperation. "You asked, I answered. Look, either we let him fix this or you can sit on the sidelines and watch us take care of the Blue Fairy ourselves. It's your choice."

This, at last, got through to Regina. She nodded, and everyone looked expectantly at Rumple. "Clasp hands," he ordered. They obeyed and he rested his own hand on top of theirs. "Alright, Miss Swan. I want you to close your eyes and summon your magic. Draw it to you, and focus it. Take your time," he added.

Emma closed her eyes and did as she was told. It took longer than she would have liked, and a little more coaching from Rumple, but at last she could feel a dense ball of energy in the pit of her stomach. "Okay. I'm ready."

"Excellent. Now I want you to push that magic out as though you were tossing it away. Keep it tight and focused, and push it away. It will pass to Regina. Go ahead."

Once again it took longer than Emma wanted, and her nerves were getting the better of her, but Rumple continued his coaching. To her credit Regina was silent and perfectly still, too eager to regain her power to risk interrupting Emma's concentration. At last Emma felt the last of the magic leave her with a painless but nonetheless uncomfortable tearing sensation. She opened her eyes and saw Regina's face tighten in an expression of pain, and then it relaxed and she gave a small shudder. She opened her eyes to meet Emma's. Nobody moved.

"Did it work?" Snow asked, glancing nervously from Emma to Regina.

"I don't know. Say something that isn't true," Emma prompted Regina.

"I love you," she said. The hairs on the back of Emma's neck bristled and she couldn't help laughing. Even Snow smiled.

"Perfect. Now you try." Regina looked around, then raised her hand and thrust her palm towards the dining room cabinet. It burst into flames. She closed her fist and the fire vanished, leaving the cabinet whole and unharmed. "Excellent!"

"What did you did?" Regina rounded on Rumplestiltskin, eyes blazing.

"Regina, what's wrong? He did exactly what he said he was going to do."

Regina scoffed. She ignored Emma and advanced on Rumple, who was looking at her with a bemused expression. "You think I'm a fool? I've been wielding magic since I was a child. I know my power, my abilities, my _strength_. This magic is barely half as powerful as it should be. What. Did. You. Do?"

"I restored your power completely. I took everything from Emma except what was already hers, and transferred it in its entirety to you. Perhaps you're weak from-"

"Don't give me that crap! Physical and mental weakness have no bearing on the strength of magic, only on the caster's ability to wield it. What did you do to my POWER!"

"Regina, calm down. We'll figure it out, we just-" but Emma's words were cut off as Regina clamped a hand over her mouth.

"In the stable," Regina said, dropping her hand as she turned to Emma, eyes wide. "In the stable, you used the magic to defend yourself. You threw me clear across the stable."

"Um…you were trying to kill me," Emma reminded her.

"No, no…well, yes, but that's not what I meant. That kind of force takes a great deal of magical strength." She shook her head. "I should have suspected something when you had so much difficulty freeing us. A small flare of emotion should have been enough but I had to goad you into nearly strangling me before it actually worked."

"Oh yeah, like you didn't enjoy that." Emma rolled her eyes.

"Listen! I did. But still, I shouldn't have had to go that far before it worked. It had nothing to do with you not being able to focus. You walked in here and cast a spell like you've been doing it your whole life."

Emma slowly nodded, understanding sinking in. "Something happened in that prison to weaken my…um, your magic."

Regina growled. "That fucking insect. She was trying to steal my power!"

"But she couldn't because you didn't have any left."

"That's why she came after me in the forest. That's why she manipulated me, to weaken me so I would start the fire."

"She wanted everyone to think you were dead so no one would go looking for you. Dammit, what is this fairy trying to do?" Emma shook her head, frustrated. She looked at Regina, who was now patting down her jeans, searching the pockets frantically, looking flustered. "What's wrong?" Emma asked.

"Where is it?" Regina whispered. She grabbed the front of Rumple's sweater, tugging it viciously towards her. "Where is it?"

**Questions answered? Yes? More questions popping up? Yes? Excellent ^.^ Just the way I like it.  
****Glad to see everyone's on board with my decision about Daniel. Will I ever write a fic that _does_ bring him back? Meh, strangers things have happened.**


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

"Focus, dear. We have more important matters to consider at the moment."

"WHERE IS IT?" Regina roared.

"Back in its rightful place. It was in quite a sorry state after so much time, don't you think? I restored it for you." He grinned.

Regina thrust Rumple away, turning her back and him. Tears stung her eyes and she fought to keep them from falling. He was right, now was not the time, but she felt suddenly empty. "He's telling the truth. It's safe. We'll just go get it back." It didn't take any great leap of logic for Emma to know exactly what Regina was searching for - her illustration of Daniel - though everyone else was lost.

"No," Regina said, closing her eyes to hold in the tears. "It's not important now. We need a plan to capture the fairy."

Emma put a hand on Regina's shoulder. Regina was trembling slightly and she hated her weakness, but she didn't have the strength to defy Emma. "It's important to you. We have time."

"What Charming said earlier," Regina said, turning to face everyone, her tears subsiding. Emma let her hand fall to her side. "He was right. We need to compare notes. If she has something else planned we need to get ahead of her."

"She's made a few pretty big mistakes. Does she even still have a plan at this point?" August asked no one in particular.

"Well we know she planned on stealing Regina's power, which doesn't make much sense. She said she wanted to keep everyone here until the curse weakened, to make the false identities permanent. If that happened Regina wouldn't have had any magic to steal, so obviously she had a back-up plan." Emma reminded him.

"She wanted everyone to stay here, in Storybrooke? Why?" It didn't make sense to Regina.

Snow looked at Emma with an 'Oh, shit' expression, and then looked sadly at Regina. "She wanted the curse to fade so we'd all be free to go wherever we wanted in this world. Because…there's nowhere else for us to go." Regina looked at her, not understanding. "The Blue Fairy…" she couldn't complete the sentence as tears welled up in her eyes.

"She destroyed the Enchanted Forest," Emma finished for her.

Regina's jaw dropped and her eyes widened. "You can't be serious," she breathed.

Emma explained to Regina how they had captured and interrogated the fairy. She relayed everything they had discovered. Disbelief still clouding her thoughts, Regina relayed her conversation with the fairy in her bedroom, as well as their confrontation in the forest. She had to avert her gaze for much of this; it still stung that she had been so easily manipulated.

"She impersonated your mother?" Snow asked. Regina nodded. "So she knew your mother?"

Everyone looked at Snow. Except Rumple. Regina turned to him. "Spill it. What do you know about her and Cora?"

"Quite a lot, actually. You'll have to be more specific." Regina's jaw clenched. Rumple sighed. "She and Cora met before you were born. She helped Cora…"

"She helped Cora defy you. She helped free Cora from the deal she made with you," Regina guessed. From the look on Rumple's face she knew she had it right.

"What deal?" Emma asked.

"It doesn't matter. It still doesn't explain her anger towards me, or wanting to steal my magic."

"Have we considered that maybe the answer is something simple?" James asked.

"Meaning…?" Snow said.

"Well, sorry to drag this up again, but Regina _did_ curse us all and bring us here in the first place. Then there's everything she did in the Enchanted Forest. Maybe the Blue Fairy was just taking justice into her own hands. And maybe she just wanted Regina's power because she's like countless other people: she wants power, plain and simple. She saw a way to get more and punish Regina at the same time, and she took it."

"Well she can't be that upset about the curse; she wanted it to be cast. And she must have been planning on conjuring up that prison from the start or she never would have asked for Jefferson's hat, remember? Rumple said she didn't need the hat to stabilize the spell in the woods."

"She planned on returning Regina's power. Possibly other's, as well," Rumple said.

"How do you figure that? How would that even be possible?" Emma crossed her arms over her chest.

"The well water that runs under Storybrooke is from Lake Nostos. It has the power to return that which one has lost. I used it to bring magic back to Storybrooke. The Blue Fairy could easily have used it to restore power to certain individuals, including herself, assuming she had access to enough stored magic to draw on the lake's power. At this point I wouldn't be surprised if she knew about the true love potion and had a plan to recover it."

"Well at least now I know what you did with that egg," Emma said.

"I still can't believe you gave him that," Regina muttered, gazing up at the ceiling with her arms crossed. Emma rolled her eyes.

"Well this is all very interesting, but what do we do _now_? We can't just sit around staring at the puzzle pieces and hoping to make a clear picture. We need to do something." August urged.

"There's no restoring the Enchanted Forest, is there?" Snow asked quietly, hanging her head. She braced herself for the answer she knew was coming.

"No. I tried using the hat to return before I gave it to Emma. The Enchanted Forest is gone." Rumple's voice was uncharacteristically compassionate. Emma couldn't help wondering if he mourned the loss of their land as well. Maybe he had created the curse to bring him to this world, but she suspected even he didn't plan on staying here forever.

"You'll find a way to fit into this world," Emma tried to reassure Snow.

Snow shook her head, looking up at Emma with teary eyes. "I can't even use my real name here. I can never be my true self. None of us can. I know you belong here, Emma, I see that now, but we don't. With or without magic, this world is not ours."

There was a long, heavy silence as everyone took in Snow's words. They seemed to hit James hard, and when he wrapped his arms around Snow it was as much for his own comfort as hers. Rumple slid casually over to Regina, both of them standing slightly apart from the group, and Emma saw Rumple whisper something in Regina's ear. She was oddly still, her gaze fixed straight ahead. Rumple saw Emma watching him and a slow grin spread over his face. She felt a sudden sense of dread, her instincts on high alert before her brain could process why. Then he opened his mouth and said, very clearly, "Please."

Regina thrust her hand towards Emma. She felt a tugging sensation and watched as Rumplestiltskin's dagger flew out of her sleeve, too fast for Emma to grab, and sailed into Regina's open palm. She handed it to Rumple without a second's hesitation, and he vanished. "What the hell did you do?" Emma screamed.

* * *

"Good morning, Mother Superior."

"Hmm? Ah, yes, good morning Miss Blanchard."

"You seem a bit distracted. Is everything alright?" Mary Margaret asked, approaching Mother Superior's desk.

"Yes, fine dear. I was just…reading." She closed the massive book in front of her and smiled warmly at Mary Margaret.

Mary tilted her head to read the title. "Once Upon a Time. Sounds like a fairy tale."

Mother Superior felt slightly annoyed at this intrusion, but she hid it well. "It's a whole collection of them, actually. Every fairy tale you can think of is in these pages, and probably some you've never even heard of."

"It almost looks handmade. Where did you get it?"

'None of your business,' she thought, but decided she would need to handle her friend's curiosity with more compassion. It wouldn't do to ignite her suspicions. "It was donated to the church some time ago. It must have been lost among the shelves for quite some time. I'm attempting to restore it, but I think it might need the help of a professional."

Mary nodded, accepting the elaborate lie. Of course she accepted it; she was speaking to a nun. "Maybe Mr. Gold could help you. I know he restores antiques, he might know someone who could restore books if he can't do it himself."

"What an excellent idea. Thank you, dear. Now is there anything I can do for you?"

"Oh, yes! I nearly forgot why I came here," she chuckled, shaking her head. "I have a student in my class who's having some…difficulty."

"What sort of difficulty?" Mother Superior asked, motioning for Mary to have a seat across from her.

Mary sat down, looking concerned now. "He's having trouble making friends. He doesn't really connect with the other children in his class. He's such a bright boy, with an incredible imagination, but he's just so lonely. I can't understand why, either. All of the other children seem friendly enough towards him, and he doesn't seem at all shy, but…well, I just don't know what to think at this point."

"Have you spoken to his parents?"

"It's just him and his mother." Mary fidgeted slightly, not sure she should be sharing this information. But if she couldn't trust Mother Superior, who else could she turn to? "He's Mayor Mills' son. Henry."

Mother Superior couldn't help feeling slightly smug. Regina had decided – with some gentle prodding, or course – that a child would bring her the happiness that the curse couldn't and now her plan was falling apart. Of course Henry was miserable; he was living in a cursed town. Still, she felt slightly sick to her stomach at the thought of the boy suffering so much. 'He will help us gain our freedom,' she reminded herself. 'I will make sure his efforts are rewarded a hundred times over when we're free from this wretched town.' "I still think you should speak to her," she said to Mary, struggling to remain present in their conversation.

"I have. Or at least, I've tried, but she keeps brushing me aside. She insists everything is fine with Henry, but I just found out that she sent him to a therapist after we spoke. I'm just…worried. Do you think there's something wrong at home?"

"Miss Blanchard, if Henry were being abused surely his therapist would report it."

"And what good would that do? You and I both know the Sheriff's department is as much under the mayor's control as any other part of this town."

"Yes, I'm well aware," the Mother replied, knowing all too well just how much control Regina really had. "I'll speak to the boy myself and give you my opinion then."

Mary Margaret nodded and said a heartfelt thank-you before leaving the room. Mother Superior watched her go, closed the door quietly behind her, and sat down to inspect the book once more. "Finished at last," she said, running her finger over the intricate binding. The paper was crisp and carefully treated to give the book an antique feel. It wouldn't do for anyone to suspect that it was, in fact, brand new. Satisfied with her work, she leaned back in her chair and allowed her thoughts to wander back to Henry.

So things weren't going so well with Regina. Mother Superior knew full well that there was no abuse – not in any traditional sense, anyway – happening in the Mayor's house. She remembered vividly, even if no one else did, just how many friends Henry really had over the years and how many times he had slipped into lonely depression, only to be pulled out by Regina herself. It had been quite a shock to discover that the Evil Queen was in fact an excellent mother. It was just as shocking, as well as an immense relief, to watch Henry thrive despite living under the influence of the curse. She had trouble admitting to herself that Regina's plan to find happiness did actually seem to be working. 'It doesn't matter one way or another; it will come to an end soon enough,' the Mother had assured herself. Now it seemed as though her assurance was coming true. With each wipe of Henry's slate the curse was weakening, and with each swipe there was more and more memory residue left behind. Of course that meant Mother Superior would need to remove Henry from Storybrooke before he could make anyone else aware of the inconsistencies in their life. Putting the last phase of her plan in motion would be difficult, she knew, but at last the end was in sight.

**I know I mentioned Cora in this chapter, but I haven't decided yet ****whether I'm actually going to get into her story or not. At this point I'm leaning towards 'not', but I needed a plausible explanation for when and where the Blue Fairy might have met Cora. Just wanted to let everyone know so you're not holding your breath, lol.**


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

"You made him _forget_?"

"Hello, Maleficent. Lovely to see you again. Can I offer you a beverage?" Regina smiled brightly, offering a fuming Maleficent the glass of cider she'd just poured herself.

"How could you make him forget?" Maleficent raged.

"I believe your request was for _Aurora_ to suffer. I don't see why her husband should suffer along with her, thinking his wife just up and left him. As far as he's concerned, his wife died years ago." She took a slow sip of cider, watching Maleficent over the rim of the glass.

Maleficent smirked. "Well at least he's half right."

Regina nearly choked on her cider. "You killed her?" She sputtered, narrowly avoiding spilling cider down her t-shirt.

"Of course not. I didn't want her dead," Maleficent pouted. "I wanted her to suffer. But alas, you said something bad would happen to anyone who left Storybrooke and at least now we know what that something is." Regina stared at Maleficent, at a loss for words. "It's quite upsetting, really. I followed her to the edge of town, watched her stroll down the road, and then…thud."

"Thud?" Regina said, raising an eyebrow.

"Just dropped dead, right there in the middle of the road."

Regina shook her head. "I don't believe you."

"Really? Go see for yourself. She's probably still lying there. I wasn't about to test the curse's boundaries just to retrieve her corpse." Maleficent opened her mouth to say something else, but Regina was already grabbing her coat and heading out the door. "A lovely visit as always, my dear," she called after her.

Regina's head was spinning. How could it be? Was Maleficent telling the truth? There was a simple way to check, Regina knew, but as she stared in the direction of the town limits she felt a shiver run down her spine. She didn't quite understand it; she was no stranger to death. But she didn't need to see a corpse to know that Maleficent was telling the truth. All she had to do was search her memory, years ago when she first ventured out of Storybrooke. The pressure building, the searing migraine – she froze, nearly choking on her shock and horror. She had nearly reached the edge of the boundary. She had nearly died. That realization was difficult enough to swallow, but with it came another blow: she was as much a prisoner in Storybrooke as anyone else.

Her legs began to move, running on auto-pilot, her mind still reeling. Her thoughts were such a jumbled mess that she hardly even noticed the buildings rushing by until she came to an abrupt stop. She looked up and was not the least bit surprised to see the sign for Gold's pawn shop. She stepped inside without hesitation, marching briskly up to the counter where Gold was dusting some shelves.

"Ah, Miss Mills. I hope you're enjoying this beautiful weather. Come to browse, have you?" Gold smiled cheerfully.

Something in Regina's throat caught as she started to speak. Gold gave her a concerned and slightly curious expression. She swallowed and took a deep breath. "Rumplestiltskin." She waited for the shock of the transformation to wear off before she said, "I want to make a deal."

"Well there's always time for that," Rumple said, grinning. "What exactly did you have in mind?"

Regina had intended, upon entering the shop, to confront Rumple about yet another flaw in the curse. But as she stood there, gazing into his glee-filled eyes, she felt disgusted. Not with him, but with herself. Rumple had explained that 'something bad' would happen to anyone who left, and Regina had been so eager to get her hands on the curse that he might have said anything and she wouldn't have cared. Now here she was, faced with the possibility of Storybrooke citizens wandering off and simply dropping dead at the next town. Her lack of foresight was too sickening to admit. "I want you to create a barrier around the town," she said at last.

Rumple raised an eyebrow. "A barrier?"

"No one crosses the town border…unless they know about the curse, or have my express permission. Anyone who tries will…experience some sort of unease, or minor emergency that forces them either back into town or back out of it. Can you do that?"

"Not without magic."

"And not without something in return, no doubt?"

"We know each other so well," Rumple said, smiling warmly.

* * *

"What have you done?" Emma coiled her fist around the front of Regina's shirt, thrusting her back against the kitchen counter, her eyes blazing with fury.

"I had no choice! He forced me!" Regina shouted, alarmed and equally furious.

"You liar!" Emma screamed.

"I'm not lying!"

"Emma," Snow placed a gentle hand on Emma's shoulder. Emma felt a warm, calming sensation spreading through her from Snow's touch. Her fury began to dissipate and her breathing slowed. She looked into Regina's eyes and knew that she was telling the truth.

"Tell me what happened," she ordered, releasing her grip on Regina's t-shirt.

Regina smoothed her crumpled shirt, her own anger still burning. "It was part of a deal we made in the Enchanted Forest. In exchange for telling me how to properly enact the curse, I agreed that once we came here I would grant any request he made as long as he said 'please'."

"And you agreed to that?" Emma asked, eyebrows raised in shock.

"I knew we were going to a land without magic. Without magic, there was nothing in place to actually enforce the deal. Of course, breaking it would have consequences so I honoured our agreement, but he knew there were limits to what I would do. There's always been a very delicate balance between us."

"Until now," Emma added, shaking her head. She took a deep breath, watching Regina closely. "Let me get this straight: now that magic is back in Storybrooke, you're effectively his slave?" Regina bristled at the word, but she nodded. "So that's why he was willing to bring you back. And give you back your powers without consequence." Again Regina nodded, knowing Emma's assumptions must be correct. "Well, I guess there's only one solution now." She held out her hands. "I'm taking your power back."

"WHAT?" Regina shouted.

"As long as you have magic Rumple can use you as a weapon. You have to give it up." Regina just stared, horrified. "Give it up or you can go back to prison." Far from the fury and indignation Emma expected, Regina's eyes widened in sheer terror. Emma could see her begin to tremble slightly and she regretted the threat instantly, but she couldn't back down from it. She took a step towards Regina, her hands held out. "Don't make me do it."

Blinking back tears, Regina clasped Emma's hands in her own. Unlike Emma's long, guided, clumsy efforts, Regina quickly gathered her magic and threw it at Emma with such force that it sent her flying backwards. "Take it," Regina hissed, and she marched into the guest room and slammed the door.

"Are you alright?" Snow asked, rushing to Emma's side.

"I'm fine," Emma grabbed the hand August offered her and he pulled her up.

"Did it work?" James asked.

"Definitely." Emma rubbed her shoulder gingerly where she had struck the floor.

"You shouldn't have threatened her like that," Snow said quietly, looking Emma straight in the eye.

Emma sighed heavily, guilt solidifying uncomfortably in her stomach. "I know. I panicked. Rumple could come back at any minute and who knows what his plan is." Emma looked at Snow imploringly. The look in Regina's eyes was burned on her retinas and she couldn't erase it. A threat was one thing, but Emma knew better than anyone what Regina had suffered. Emma was shocked by her cruelty and she silently begged Snow for some sign of forgiveness. Snow looked at her pityingly but said nothing. Emma recalled her inability to assuage Snow's guilt over ignoring Regina's illness and she knew that Snow could do no better for her now. She shook her head, trying to bring her focus back to the situation at hand. "We never should have trusted him."

"All this time," August marvelled.

"He knew we'd all rely too much on my ability. He knew exactly how much truth to spill to make us trust him." She looked around at everyone. "So is he in league with the Blue Fairy now?"

"No way," August said. "He hates fairies, especially her. He blames her for losing his son."

"His son?" Emma asked.

"Baelfire."

"Baelfire?" They both said in unison.

"You know about him?" August asked.

"Rumple has a son?" James asked, incredulous. Snow appeared to share the sentiment.

"No," Emma groaned, putting her hands over her face.

"What's wrong?" Snow asked, concerned.

Emma let her hands fall. She shook her head, looking up at the ceiling. "I owe that bastard another gad damn _fucking_ favour."

**Just so no one's confused, that moment I described with Regina reaching the edge of the boundary isn't something you've read about yet. If you're feeling lost, don't worry.  
Oh, and I know I said no SwanQueen, but next chapter has a nice little moment in it for all you SQ fans.  
**


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

"We need to let everyone else know what's going on," James said.

"If we tell them about Rumplestiltskin they're going to panic," Snow pointed out.

"Not to mention they're going to lose faith in us. They'll want to know how he got the dagger back and either we have to take the blame or we have to tell them about Regina." Emma crossed her arms over her chest.

"Which is only going to make them doubt us that much more," Snow finished the thought.

"I guess we're keeping her a secret then?" August asked.

Emma and Snow shared a meaningful glance, and Snow nodded. "There's no telling how they'll react to her reappearance. We need to keep quiet for now. It's not like she can help us much now anyway," she added, looking pointedly at Emma.

"So if we're not telling them about Regina or Rumplestiltskin, what _are_ we telling them?" August asked.

"We'll explain everything we know about the Blue Fairy. They can help us formulate a plan." James looked at Snow. "We should tell Red about Rumple and Regina. She could be a big help."

Snow nodded. "And the dwarves. They can handle the truth and we need all the help we can get right now."

"Good. Let's go." Emma escorted everyone to the hospital. She felt uncomfortable leaving Regina alone in the apartment, but when she approached the bedroom door she heard quiet sobbing on the other side and decided it was best not to disturb her. She scribbled a quick 'be back soon' on a note and stuck it to the front door before leaving.

True to her word, Emma returned promptly to the apartment. She had no interest in listening to the briefing of Storybrooke's citizens; she'd heard enough about the Blue Fairy and magic and barriers and it was making her head spin. Once inside she made her way to the guest room, where she could still hear sobbing. It made her sick with guilt. She knocked softly on the door which was answered with a loud 'bang' that made Emma jump. She sighed and pushed open the door, which had a broken lock. At her feet lay a heavy book that Regina had obviously grabbed off the shelf to hurl at the door.

"Get out," Regina said, her voice low and menacing. She was sitting on the floor with her back against the wall, arms wrapped around her knees which were drawn up to her chest. She was no longer sobbing but Emma could hear the trembling in her voice and see her physically shaking with the effort of holding them in.

"Regina..." Emma said gently, taking a slow step forward. "I never should have threatened you like that. I would never send you back to that place."

"You should have left me there!" Regina screamed, ending in a choked sob. She took several gasping breaths, trying to rein in her emotion once again, but she eventually succumbed to her sobs once more. She hugged her knees tighter and rested her head on them, rocking back and forth slightly. Emma could feel the sting of her own tears as she stared down at what could only be described as a broken woman.

"I can go get the picture for you. I know how much it means-"

Her words were cut off as Regina lunged at her suddenly, limbs flailing, nails digging into any bit of flesh they could find. Emma yelled, once again caught off guard. She felt a strange pressure building inside her and this time she recognized the magic for what it was. But instead of releasing it she forced it back, pushing it away to the back of her mind. She managed, with unexpected difficulty, to grab hold of Regina's wrists. With a little more effort, and after a painful knee strike to the stomach, she managed to pin Regina on her back, Emma's knees carefully positioned on either side of Regina's ribs. "You have got…to stop…_doing that_," Emma panted, blowing a strand of hair out of her face.

Tears flowed down Regina's cheeks, burning hot tracks in her skin. "Just kill me," she whimpered.

Emma looked down at her, looking more miserable than Emma had ever seen anyone look in her life. "How long were you there?" She asked, her voice quiet and gentle.

"Oh, now you care?" Regina spat.

"Stop it!" Emma roared, digging her knees into Regina's ribs for emphasis. "Just stop it! Stop with the sarcasm, with the lashing out, with the venom, just stop it!" Emma couldn't explain, even to herself, why she was so angry all of a sudden. But listening to Regina lash out verbally, grasping at the remnants of her old life like a security blanket, made Emma's blood boil. It was like listening to someone constantly put themselves down; it was just another form of self-pity and there was nothing Emma hated more.

"Three years. Maybe more."

Emma was panting again in the wake of her anger. She looked into Regina's eyes and saw them glaze over, as though a curtain were being drawn. That icy blanket she wrapped herself in – the one that Emma now understood was to protect her broken heart – was back in place. But the bite of sarcasm and the sting of venom were gone. Emma couldn't hide her shock at Regina's words. How could so much time have passed for Regina when only two days had passed in Storybrooke? "You didn't deserve to be trapped in that place."

"You think you're the bigger person here? Spare my life, 'love thy enemy'?" She raised her head off the floor, bringing her face close to Emma's. "I killed Graham. I crushed his heart into dust."

Emma leaned down, nearly closing the gap between her and Regina. "I know," she said.

Regina blinked, letting her head fall back to the floor. "You know?"

"Yeah. Henry told me, when I went to check on him before I rescued you." She watched as a tear rolled down Regina's cheek and disappeared into her hair. "But he forgave you. He forgives you for everything."

"Don't tell me you do too, because that's bullshit." Emma could hear the force draining from Regina's words at last.

"You're probably right. There are things that I may never be able to forgive. But you know what? That's my issue. You saved my life, you protected Henry, and…and you raised him. He's a good kid because of you. You can't erase what you did, and you can never make up for it, but as far as I'm concerned…" Emma let go of Regina's wrists and stood up, holding her hand out to Regina. "We're square."

For a long, tense moment Emma was sure Regina was going to slap her hand away, or maybe even attack her again. But finally she reached up and grasped Emma's hand, and Emma pulled her to her feet.

"Come on," Emma said, leaving the room before any awkward silence could settle in.

"What do you mean?" Regina called after her.

"I mean _come on_," she said, making her way down the hall.

Regina quickly followed, wiping the last of her tears as she did. "Where are you going?"

"_We_ are going to the mausoleum. Henry's been on his own there all day and I have to make sure he's alright." She grabbed her jacket off the coat rack and handed it to Regina, knowing that she'd rather borrow Emma's jacket than Snow's.

Regina didn't take the jacket. She stood staring at Emma, unmoving. "I'm not going anywhere," she said at last.

"I'm not leaving you here alone," Emma said, tossing the jacket over Regina's head.

Regina pulled the jacket off and looked down at it, her hair slightly ruffled by the gesture. "I can't."

Understanding dawned on Emma. "He deserves to know you're alive." Dammit! Emma mentally kicked herself.

Regina's head shot up and Emma cringed, but the fury she was expecting wasn't there. 'At least you can't accuse her of being predictable,' she thought idly. "You didn't tell him about me?" She asked, her voice oddly quiet.

"Rumple didn't tell me much about where you were, just that it was a prison and you were suffering. I was afraid you might be sick or injured or…"

"Crazy," Regina supplied flatly.

"I was going to say 'dead'. But yeah, that was a possibility too. I just thought if I told Henry he'd be expecting you to pop back good as new, as though nothing ever happened. I wasn't sure he could handle seeing you as anything less. And if you were sick or…"

Regina nodded, looking down at the jacket again. She understood; she wouldn't want Henry to go through that loss twice, either. She felt guilt gnawing at her suddenly and she muttered, "Just add it to the list." She knew Emma was looking at her, confused and probably concerned, but it didn't matter. She had tried yet again to punish herself, to put herself in harm's way for her own selfish reasons. Sure, Henry didn't know she was alive, but she hadn't known that twenty minutes ago when she attacked Emma. Mistake after mistake after mistake…

Emma put a firm hand on her shoulder. "You can decide once and for all when we get there. But somebody has to go check on him and you can't stay here alone."

Regina simply nodded and slipped on Emma's jacket. Emma quickly pulled on Snow's and they headed out into the empty street, making their way towards the woods. They were walking far too quickly for Regina's liking. As they walked Emma glanced at Regina several times out of the corner of her eye until Regina finally said, with an irritated huff, "What?"

"That barrier Rumple was talking about. Who were you trying to keep out?"

"Who could I possibly know in this world that wasn't already in Storybrooke?"

"That's a good question. One I'd really like an answer to."

There was a long silence and Emma felt annoyed that Regina wasn't going to answer her. Then there was a long sigh and Regina said, "Everyone." Emma turned her head slightly to look at Regina, but she had her gaze fixed straight ahead. Emma let the subject drop.

**Alright SwanQueen shippers, I gave you Emma straddling Regina, now sit down and behave :P**


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

**elichiang – you're right, I'm not going to answer your question (not directly anyway) but I think the answer will become clear in the next couple chapters. Glad you're enjoying what I've done with Rumple so far :)**

Henry picked up his handheld video game for what felt like the hundredth time. He turned it on and watched the tiny characters parade across the tiny screen and suddenly he just felt sick of it. He threw it as hard as he could at the stone wall, where it flew to pieces, scattering the game, the backing and the batteries onto the floor. He froze, horror filling him. Getting to his knees he hurried around the little room, gathering the various pieces of the game and quickly putting it back in order. Dread threatening to fill him, he flicked it on and breathed a sigh of relief when everything worked perfectly. Tears pricked his eyes. He remembered Regina saying 'The occasion is I love you,' and he hugged it tight to his chest. He'd been so ungrateful then.

Bored, restless, and now struggling against a tide of overwhelming emotions, all Henry could do was pace. The room was only a few paces wide and there was very little to keep him occupied. The book was there, but every time he tried to open it he was filled with a sense of dread. He had read the book hundreds of times and he knew the Evil Queen permeated its stories. It made him feel sick. The video games were becoming repetitive and boring. He had some paper and pencil crayons for drawing, but he wasn't big on doodling. He tried jumping jacks and jumping invisible rope, which helped burn off a little energy, but it wasn't enough.

There was a faint noise from overhead and Henry raced up the stairs eagerly, hoping to see Emma approaching. "Oh," Henry said, seeing that it wasn't Emma. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to take you back to the hospital. A lot has happened and Emma wants you nearby."

Henry looked up at the tiny fairy, hovering just outside the mausoleum door. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Why isn't Emma coming to get me?"

"Emma is the daughter of the Queen, and the town's saviour. Her presence is very important to the people of Storybrooke now. I'm sure you can understand that." The Blue Fairy smiled.

Henry nodded. "What's going on, anyway? Emma wouldn't tell me anything when she brought me here. Did they find Rumplestiltskin?"

"Yes, we found him. We also have his dagger, which puts him under our control. He's no longer a threat. But we have bigger problems now than Rumplestiltskin. I don't want to tell you too much, I think you should hear it all from Emma. Come on, we need to hurry." She motioned to Henry to follow. He nodded, stepping forward.

* * *

"So what's the deal with Rumple and your mother?" Emma asked after what seemed like hours of silence.

"Do you really think I want to talk about my mother?" Regina sighed.

"Fine, why don't you tell me what you _do_ want to talk about."

"I don't see why we need to talk."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Oh, I don't know, maybe because we're two human beings walking side by side through a ghost town? Tell me about that symbol on the mausoleum. August said he saw it when he first came here, to this world."

"He did?" Regina asked, genuinely curious.

"He said someone was wearing a pendant that looked just like it. The guy who found us and called the police to come get us."

"Huh," was the only reply Regina offered.

"What? Come on, you can't just leave it at that."

Regina chuckled. "Really tall, blonde hair, green eyes, military type?"

"How should I know? I was a baby, remember? Who is he?"

Regina shrugged. "Paul, I think his name was. I met him a few times when I ventured out of Storybrooke."

So many questions. "You left Storybrooke? I thought no one could do that."

"Apparently I can go a bit farther than most people, but I'm reasonably certain I wouldn't have made it much farther than that diner had I tried. I wandered down the road one night with Paul and I ended up cutting the night short because I had a horrible migraine. Once I got back to town it disappeared. I never thought much of it until Aurora died."

"So you and this Paul…"

"He was a useful source of information. I managed to manipulate the curse into giving me my own false identity, temporarily, to provide me with all the knowledge I needed to live in this world. Before that, though, I had no idea how to live here. I needed someone, a genuine citizen of this world, to help me learn. Paul suspected something was off about me but he was easily charmed into overlooking anything strange."

"Because you were sleeping with him," Emma supplied.

"Of course," Regina said with a shrug.

"I still don't understand what that has to do with the necklace."

"It was mine. I lost it years ago. Sounds like Paul found it and kept it."

"So then the symbol is…"

"A family crest of sorts. The mausoleum is from my father's bloodline. I had the necklace made…after he died." She wrung her hands as though trying to wipe the blood off of them. She could feel it there, even so many years later, hot and wet, oozing between her fingers, under her nails. It gave her a powerful urge to scrub her hands raw.

"What happened to him?" Emma asked, having not noticed Regina's discomfort.

Regina stopped and Emma turned to face her, looking at her questioningly. "You…don't know?"

"Should I?" Emma said, eyebrows raised. Regina swallowed. "I'm guessing it's in Henry's book. Well I haven't read it yet." When Regina was silent, still wringing her hands, Emma crossed her arms over her chest impatiently. "Either I hear it from you or it goes to the top of my list of things I intend to read as soon as I get my hands on that book."

Regina bowed her head, unable to look Emma in the eye and longer. "The only way to enact the Dark Curse is to sacrifice the heart of the things you love most." Her voice was quiet, barely above a whisper. She could practically feel Emma's disgust washing over her.

"You…" Emma stammered. She wasn't sure what to say, or where to start, or even how to react. She finally managed to say, words tumbling out of her mouth in a rush, "You cut out your father's heart?"

'Not exactly,' Regina thought bitterly, and she felt her nails dig into the back of her hand. She wanted to rip off the offending appendage. "You thought I became the Evil Queen by trying to kill Snow White? By poisoning one lousy apple?" She raised her head to gaze into Emma's eyes, her emotions blackening in her eyes. "What did you expect?" she hissed.

Emma shook her head. "I don't have time for this." She turned and started walking once again into the forest towards the mausoleum. Regina followed, keeping several paces behind. They continued the rest of the way in silence, both of their minds buzzing with too many thoughts to really make sense of anything.

They arrived at the mausoleum as the sun was hanging low on the horizon. Emma climbed the first few steps, then looked back at Regina, who was standing some distance away. "Are you coming?" Emma called. When Regina shook her head, Emma walked slowly back towards her. "You can't hide from him," she said softly.

Regina looked into Emma's eyes, feeling lost and confused. There were so many things she wanted to say, all vying for top position, that she was incapable of saying anything. 'Why are you giving me a chance? Why don't you hate me for what I've done? Why don't you hate me for naming your son after someone I killed? Why don't you hate me for killing someone you cared about? Why are you treating me like my presence could ever be anything but a destructive force in Henry's life?' Her eyes filled with tears and she quickly bowed her head, frustrated that she couldn't stop breaking down in front of Emma.

"He misses you," Emma said, putting a hand on Regina's arm. They stood frozen for what seemed like forever, Emma's touch searing Regina's flesh with the heat of guilt and shame. At last she let her hand fall and simply walked back to the mausoleum, leaving Regina alone in the woods.

Regina expected Emma to disappear inside for quite a while, so she started to make her way towards a fallen log to have a seat, but Emma rushed back outside only seconds after entering. Her face was full of horror and fear and Regina's heart began to pound. Her fears were confirmed as Emma said, "Henry's gone."

* * *

"Oh, Emma," Snow said upon hearing the news. She wrapped her arms around Emma, who couldn't hold back her tears any longer. With Regina's coaching she had teleported them back to the hospital, where they now stood in a secluded corridor with Snow, James, August, Jiminy, Red, and the seven dwarves.

"We'll find him, I know we will," Jiminy said, perched on James's shoulder. They had apparently come to an understanding about the wardrobe fiasco, though under less trying circumstances Emma might have noticed that Gepetto was still absent from their group despite having once been a member of the Enchanted Forest war counsel.

Regina was standing slightly apart from the group, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. She felt like her heart was struggling to beat and her lungs were too weak to draw in air. She willed her legs to hold her up, willed her mask to hide her pain from the enemies now surrounding her. She may have forged some trust with Emma, but she could tell from the uneasy glances of the others that not only did they not trust her, but they still despised her. Not that any of that mattered. Not anymore. If something happened to Henry, Regina knew in her heart that she would come undone. Whatever fragile tether kept her on the ground, kept her tied to what little remained of her sanity, would snap. The thought terrified her and she felt the strength vanish from her legs. She slid down the wall and rested her head on her knees.

There was a faint noise, one Regina recognized, and she shot to her feet. Everyone turned and followed her gaze to the end of the hall. Standing there was Rumplestiltskin, looking quite pleased with himself. Standing next to him, Rumple's hands firmly on his shoulders, was Henry. "Seems you lost something," Rumple said with a grin. Regina felt the last of her air rush out of her lungs.

**Well this doesn't look promising…Can you say 'ransom'?  
**


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38

"Yes, we found him. We also have his dagger, which puts him under our control. He's no longer a threat. But we have bigger problems now than Rumplestiltskin. I don't want to tell you too much, I think you should hear it all from Emma. Come on, we need to hurry." She motioned to Henry to follow. He nodded, stepping forward.

"Not so fast, dearie." Henry froze at the threshold. He looked over to see Rumple standing next to the front steps of the mausoleum. "Henry, m'boy, it's been too long."

Henry took a small step back. Rumple frowned and made a 'tsk tsk' sound. "You shouldn't be here," the Blue Fairy said threateningly.

"I thought you said he was under your control?" Henry said, looking up at the fairy.

"Ah, well, that would be a lie," Rumple said, smiling at the fairy. Her eyes widened for a second, then narrowed furiously. "It's this one here you want to look out for," he stage whispered to Henry.

"Henry, he must have broken free somehow. You know how manipulative he is. Come with me, I can take you to safety." The Fairy hovered as close to Henry as she could, unable to actually enter the structure, putting herself at his eye level.

"What could be safer than a structure that no one can enter without Regina's permission? It would seem such a structure would be all the more secure now, given that Regina is dead. Well, supposedly." The fairy shot a horrified look at Rumple, who clasped a hand over his mouth. "Oops. Did I let that slip?"

"What about my mom?" Henry asked, heart hammering.

"Henry, don't listen to him. _Please_. He's lying to you; he only wants to hurt you." The Blue Fairy held out her hand, a sense of urgency in her words.

"Bold move, accusing me of lying. But you see, Reul Ghorm, you continue to underestimate my influence here. Not to mention your misjudgement of Miss Swan. You expected her to let Regina rot in her prison, no doubt, but Miss Swan takes her job as saviour _vewy sewiouswy_."

"My mom's alive?" Henry breathed, hardly daring to believe it.

"Oh yes, quite. She's been through a rather trying ordeal at the hands of our friend here, but she is most _certainly_ alive."

"You expect the boy to believe you?" The Blue Fairy scoffed. "This is cruel, Rumple, even for you."

"You can't set foot inside that building, can you?" Rumple said, nodding his head towards the doorway.

"You know perfectly well that Regina never gave me permission, and I can't very well get it from her now." Henry was listening to the exchange with growing confusion. He felt his stomach flip at the thought of Regina being alive, but now he was filled with icy dread. Even as he tried to squash his newfound hope, he could feel it blossoming rapidly; he wasn't sure he could handle discovering that Rumple was lying.

"That's very true. She'd never give it to you now. She would, however, give it to me." Rumple walked forward, the fairy staring at him in horror. Henry took an involuntary step back as he approached the doorway. "You don't mind if I come in, do you, boy?" Henry swallowed, looking up into Rumple's inhuman eyes. Rumple just smiled. He stretched out one leg as though he were testing the temperature of a pool. It slid right over the threshold. With a theatrical 'ahh' he stepped into the mausoleum to stand next to Henry.

Henry couldn't help it. He threw his arms around the strange man. "It's true! She really is alive!"

The Blue Fairy let out an anguished cry and vanished. "I don't understand," Henry said, releasing Rumple to look up at him. "Why did she lie?"

Rumple sighed dramatically. "It's a terribly lengthy tale. Come, m'boy, we have some business to attend to." Henry smiled and happily followed Rumple out of the mausoleum.

* * *

"Mom?" Henry said. Tears filled his eyes and he blinked them back, not wanting them to obscure his vision.

"What do you want?" Emma asked Rumple, her voice low, trying to keep the hatred out of it so as not to scare Henry. Her gaze flicked back and forth between the two of them.

"Want? You insult me, dear." Rumple slid his hands off Henry's shoulders and patted him on the back. "Go on," he said.

Henry flew to Regina, who scooped him up in a tight hug, no air left in her to even sob. Emma's relief was so immense she couldn't bring herself to care about Rumple. She hurried over to Regina and Henry, ruffling his hair affectionately. He beamed at her, sliding down from Regina's arms and putting his arms around both of them. "The Blue Fairy came. She wanted to take me somewhere."

"Do you know where?" Regina asked, glancing at Emma. She kneeled down to bring herself closer to Henry's eye level.

"She said she was going to take me back to Emma. But then Rumplestiltskin showed up and he told me you were alive," he smiled at Regina again. She managed to return it.

"I'm relieved you didn't go with her, but Henry…he could have been lying," Emma said gently.

"You underestimate your boy," Rumple said, approaching the trio.

"The Blue Fairy couldn't get inside because she didn't have permission. But Rumple walked right in so I knew he had to be telling the truth. The only way in is with your permission, right?" Henry looked at Regina, who nodded. Henry's expression suddenly changed and he leaned sideways slightly, looking at Regina's cheek. The scratch marks were still faintly visible, and Emma mentally kicked herself for not suggesting magically healing them before they went to see Henry. "What happened?" He asked.

"It's nothing," Regina assured him.

"Did the Blue Fairy do that to you?"

"Sort of. But I'm fine now."

"You promise?" Henry asked, infusing his voice with authority in a manner that reminded Emma so forcefully of Regina she had to laugh.

"I promise," Regina said, unable to completely supress her own laughter. She gave Henry another tight hug. Suddenly realizing the immensity of what it meant to have Regina's arms around him again, Henry couldn't hold back his tears anymore and he started to sob quietly.

"Take the boy home. Reul Ghorm won't try that again anytime soon. Go on." Emma looked up at Rumple, immense gratitude filling her. He saw it in her eyes and simply shook his head.

"Remember what I told you?" Regina asked. Emma nodded. She closed her eyes and followed Regina's directions once more and suddenly they were back in Snow's apartment. "Come on, let's find you some pyjamas," Regina said quietly. When Henry didn't relinquish his grip she smiled and lifted him up. It was no easy task, and she marvelled yet again at how fast he grew. His sobbing had stopped, but she could feel his grip like iron around her.

"Why don't you guys watch a movie or something? I'm going to take a shower." It pained Emma to leave Henry's side when just moments ago she'd feared she might never see him again, but she knew right now Henry needed Regina. It was something she was going to have to learn to accept: Regina was his mother, and Henry would always love her as such. The only comfort Emma found was in reminding herself that while Henry's attention might be divided between Emma and Regina, his love was not. Now if only she could actually make herself believe that.

Regina carried Henry into the living room, thankful when she could collapse onto the couch. Henry sat in her lap, his arms around her neck and his head resting against her chest. "Why don't you go pick out something for us to watch?" Henry shook his head. Regina slid her hand under his chin and forced his face up to look at her. Tears were still sliding down his cheeks. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

"I'm sorry," Henry wailed, burying his face against her shoulder, sobbing.

"Henry!" Regina said, slightly alarmed. "What are you talking about? You have _nothing_ to be sorry for."

"I yelled at you, and I was so mean, and I told Emma you were evil, and I thought you cursed me but it wasn't your fault and I threw the video game and it broke and…" Henry's sobs drowned out whatever else he was going to say. Regina didn't quite make out everything he said but she understood enough to know why Henry was so upset. She couldn't believe that after all she had done, all the reason he should hate her, it was _Henry_ who felt guilty. It didn't make any sense. It wasn't right.

Regina tried and failed to say something, anything to express just how screwed up the whole situation was. She wanted to tell him how much she'd missed him, how unbelievably relieved she'd been to walk into Snow's guest room and realize that less than 48 hours had passed. Her relief at knowing that Henry hadn't changed, hadn't spent years living without her, was breathtaking. Unlike everything else she had ever experience in her life, the draining effect that all of her other emotions had, her relief had actually made her feel _full_. Too full, in fact. She'd felt ready to burst and the only release she'd found was in the numbing effect of alcohol. Now, to have Henry in her arms again, she felt that same unbearable relief, that same fullness that her bruised and battered heart was simply too weak to hold. There was no room left anywhere for words. All she could do was let her tears fall, forced out by the pressure inside.

"_Hushabye, don't you cry_," Henry sang quietly.

Regina burst out laughing and it was a welcome release. Henry looked up at her and smiled, tears drying on his cheeks. Regina smoothed his hair with her hand, pulling him close to her again, and kissed the top of his head. She took a deep breath, clearing away her tears, and began to sing Henry's favourite lullaby. He hummed along, and when she finished he looked up at her again, both of their tears gone. "Is Ursula in Storybrooke?"

Regina chuckled. "No. She was killed years ago by Prince Eric."

"Oh, right. I forgot. Is Prince Eric here?" Henry's eyes gleamed with excitement.

Regina nodded. "He's Dr. Whale."

"I don't see it," Emma said, emerging from her bedroom with slightly damp hair. She sat down in the armchair next to the sofa.

Henry smiled at her, eager to share some real stories with her at last. "You've never noticed the way he looks at Ruby?"

"But Ruby isn't Ariel, she's Little Red Riding Hood," Emma said.

"Her red hair reminds him of Ariel. She doesn't have red hair here in Storybrooke, or at least she didn't; I haven't seen her since the curse broke." Regina shrugged.

"But I thought it was her voice he was obsessed with, not her hair," Emma asked, trying to remember the movie.

Henry shook his head. "That's how the story goes here, but it was actually her hair he first noticed about her. Ursula took it in exchange for making her human, and then used it to impersonate her. The Blue Fairy helped make Ariel a human permanently, and eventually she charmed Eric away from the sea witch with her voice, because Ursula couldn't sing."

"She kept the red hair for the longest time, though," Regina said with a slight smirk.

"Until you took it from her, right?" Henry asked.

"Yes. I struck a deal with Ariel that if I got her red hair back from the sea witch, she had to let me keep a streak for myself. She got pretty huffy about it but eventually she agreed."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "No hair dye in the Enchanted Forest?"

"Only mermaids possessed red hair in the Enchanted Forest. It was a mark of their species. Ariel was furious that I tried to keep some of hers for myself, but she decided one streak of red in my hair was better than the sea witch having all of it."

"So the streak disappeared when you got here?" Emma asked.

Regina sighed. "Unfortunately, no. I lost it in a deal with the Blind Witch. She double crossed me and I never managed to get it back."

"You sure got her back, though," Henry said, smiling.

Regina once again slid her hand under Henry's chin, bringing her face close to his. "You don't have to pretend, Henry. The things I did in the Enchanted Forest…they're nothing to be proud of. I know you know that."

Henry nodded solemnly. He wrapped his arms around Regina again and she did the same, resting her cheek on top of his head, letting her eyes drift closed. Emma watched, her eyes fixed on Regina. She couldn't believe what she was hearing, what she was seeing. Something about being with Henry seemed to have completely disarmed Regina. There was no blanket, no mask, no self-pity or self-loathing, and no anger. Emma knew this was simply another layer of Regina, but she suspected it was as close to the core as anyone had seen in decades. And when Regina opened her eyes and looked at Emma, resting peacefully with Henry in her arms, Emma could see the clear, soft brown gaze of a real human being.

**-Oh y'all of little faith. How could you ever doubt Rumple?  
-Credit where credit is due. I can't remember where, but I definitely read the 'red hair' theory on a fansite somewhere. I added a little of my own creativity into the story, but mostly it's just a theory I thought was really clever and it's since become my personal head canon, lol. Someone asked me a couple chapters ago if Dr. Whale would ever be part of the story, and ATM my answer is no, but I thought I'd share this interesting little tidbit with you. Plus Emma could really use some FTL education XD**


	39. Chapter 39

**Q&A:**  
**Readers: Where is [insert character here]? Will we ever see them? Where have they been all this time?**  
**Me: Jefferson, Belle, and Sydney WILL be making an appearance shortly, and all will be explained. I still have no plans to delve into Cora's story at the moment, but given that I'm only a few chapters ahead of you guys, anything can happen. Anyone else, if they haven't been mentioned already, probably won't appear. I apologize for any disappointment this may cause. But get ready Rumbelle fans, it's coming ;)  
BTW you guys, this story is now longer (based an word count) than the first Harry Potter novel. So...wow. Thank for sticking with it ^_^**

* * *

Chapter 39

**Thank you so much Dracomom for your wonderful insight. Always love swapping theories with you, and I'm so happy to hear that you're enjoying the story. I apologize for the spelling/grammar, but it's nearly impossible to catch suble mistakes in your own work even with multiple re-reads. I was relieved to hear you'd forgotten about them by the time you finished reading the chapter though, haha! Sorry that the Blue Fairy reveal wasn't really a surprise for you, given that I already told you my theory about her before I ever wrote this story, but I think I still have some surprises up my sleeve. And rest assured, I will most likely to continue updating every day or every other day, and who knows, maybe this thing WILL last through the hiatus!**

"How'd it go?" Emma asked when Snow came through the door at last. She looked exhausted.

"It didn't. We've been going 'round in circles for hours. No one really knows what to think or what to do. I can't really blame them. Her treachery just doesn't make sense, and we don't know enough to really know how to react. So many of us owe her our happy endings." Snow glanced at Henry, who was still sitting in Regina's lap watching an old horror movie, and then at Regina, whose eyes were also on the screen but appeared unfocused. Her arms were wrapped loosely around Henry, and his head was resting against her shoulder, too tired to even look up at Snow.

"Not to mention they're all still reeling from the loss of-"

Snow shot an angry glare at Emma with a pointed look at Henry and Emma fell silent. Unfortunately, it was too late. Henry sat up, looking at Emma, confused and concerned. "Did something happen? Did someone else die?"

"No, Henry, everyone's fine," Snow assured him.

"Something happened," Henry said, narrowing his eyes. Emma and Snow glanced at each other, reluctant to reveal the truth.

"The Blue Fairy destroyed the Enchanted Forest," Regina said, sparing Snow and Emma the effort.

"What?" Henry looked up at her, shocked.

"She manipulated everyone and altered the curse. That's why we didn't all go home when the curse broke. And now we can't leave Storybrooke because she put some sort of barrier in place to prevent us from leaving. That's why those people died when they tried to leave; she put that in place, not Rumplestiltskin."

Henry shook his head. "But why? She helped so many people get happy endings…"

"That's the problem," Emma said.

"We don't understand it either. Emma managed to talk to her before she escaped and we know that the Enchanted Forest was dying before the curse was even created, which is why she didn't try harder to prevent it from happening, but there're a lot of other things that don't make any sense at all," Regina explained.

"And in the meantime she's in Storybrooke somewhere trying to salvage whatever plans she had and we have no idea what to do about it. We don't know what to expect from her." Emma ran her hands through her hair, leaning forward to rest her elbows on her knees.

Regina looked down at Henry. "What did she say to you when you saw her?"

Henry's nose wrinkled briefly as he thought back. Emma was reminded of Regina as a child, wrinkling her nose at the sight of Daniel. 'They're so much alike,' she thought with a pang of sadness. Try as she might, she couldn't rationalize it away. "She said she wanted to take me to Emma. That you had Rumplestiltskin under control…but there was another threat. She didn't want to tell me what it was; she just said I should hear it from Emma."

"And what about when Rumple showed up? What did she say to him?"

"She said that she couldn't come in because she didn't have your permission, and that's when Rumple said you were still alive. She looked really mad and told me he was lying. But then he said you gave him permission to enter and he came right in, so I knew he had to be telling the truth." He smiled.

"Why would you give him permission to go in there?" Emma asked, shaking her head. She was leaning forward in the exact same position as James had been sitting earlier and Snow fought a grin. Part of Emma wanted to be angry with Regina for putting Henry in danger, but a much greater part of her trusted Regina and her love for Henry; Rumple, however, was still another story, whether he saved Henry from the Blue Fairy or not.

Regina sighed. "I didn't."

Henry looked up at her, his heart beating faster. "You didn't?" He breathed.

She smiled and stroked his hair. "It's alright, Henry. You still made the right choice. He knew it was the only thing that would convince you to trust him and I'm glad he did."

"But if you didn't give him permission, how did he get in?" Snow asked.

Regina shrugged. "He knew my parents long before I was born. He probably knows more of my ancestors than I do. He could have been given permission centuries ago by someone I've never even met and I'd never know it. Once someone has permission to enter the magic remains until another member of the bloodline rescinds the invitation."

"So we had Henry in there all that time to protect him from Rumple and he could just walk in?" Emma let out a breathy chuckled, shaking her head. The ridiculousness of their whole situation was settling in again.

"Guess it's a good thing he's on our side," Henry said.

"It's a good thing the Blue Fairy didn't know that when she had control of the dagger," Snow added. Everyone nodded.

"Alright, time for bed," Regina said.

"What? But I want to hear more about what's going on. I've been stuck out in the woods for days!" Henry protested.

"We're all too exhausted to solve anything tonight. Come on, you can sleep here with us tonight." Regina glanced at Emma, who shrugged. The hospital really wasn't any safe than anywhere else.

"Wait! My book! I left it behind!"

"We'll get it in the morning," Snow said reassuringly.

"No." Everyone looked at Regina, who could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. "There's no reason to leave it lying around out there. Emma, you can bring it here."

"How?" She asked.

"It's a very similar process to what I taught you, you just have to focus on pulling the book to you instead of the other way around. Give it a try." Emma thought she could hear a desperate edge in Regina's words but she decided she was probably just imagining it given how important she knew the book was to Regina.

She leaned back and closed her eyes. Henry looked at Regina, curious, and whispered, "What's she doing?" But Regina pressed a finger to her lips. They waited for several minutes and finally there was a puff of black smoke and the giant book lay across Emma's lap.

"Whoa! Did _you_ do that?" Henry slid off Regina's lap and over to Emma, staring down at the book.

"That night, in the forest…your mom sacrificed her magic so I could protect you. She gave it to me." Emma didn't think he really needed to know the rest of the story and Regina couldn't help feeling relieved.

Henry looked up at Regina, who was now standing behind him. "You did?"

"We can talk about this tomorrow. Come on, you need your rest."

"Wait!" Henry exclaimed, and Emma let out a soft chuckle. She glanced up at Regina, expecting to see at least a smile on her face, but Regina was staring down at the book with a haunted expression. There was a burning eagerness in her eyes that she seemed to be fighting, and this time Emma knew she wasn't imagining it. Henry picked up the book and set it down on the coffee table where he pried it open. He flipped through a few pages until he found what he was looking for. He grabbed the page and very carefully ripped it out. Then he handed it to Regina. "Rumple told me he put this back, but I thought you'd want it."

He held out the page to Regina, and while Snow looked completely bewildered, Emma couldn't help smiling. Regina stretched out her hand and took the page gingerly from Henry, looking down at it with tears in her eyes. She nodded briskly, not trusting her voice, and followed Henry as he made his way down the hall. She couldn't take her eyes off the illustration as she walked.

"What was that?" Snow asked as she watched the two of them disappear into the guest room.

"A picture of Daniel," Emma replied sadly.

Snow shook her head. "Emma, I met Daniel; that didn't look anything like him."

"It's a picture of him as a boy. You wouldn't have known him then."

"Why would Regina want a picture of him as a boy?"

"She said it's the only picture in the book that really looks like him. She's right, too, it looks just like him." When Snow's brow furrowed Emma explained to her exactly what Regina's prison had been and how she had watched Regina's past play out before her. She told Snow all about Regina meeting Daniel, and being punished by Cora, and how Daniel had comforted her.

Snow stared at Emma, tears sliding down her cheeks. "They met…as children?" Emma's mouth fell open and she mentally kicked herself. She forgot that Snow didn't know Regina's history with Daniel. She started to say something but Snow quickly left the room before Emma could speak. She climbed the stairs to her bedroom and closed the door, and Emma suspected Snow wouldn't be getting much rest that night. She sighed.

* * *

Snow emerged into the street, her head spinning so fast she thought she might throw up. Anger and guilt were fighting a raging battle inside her, pushing aside everything else, but she could still feel a deep ache in her heart. Deep inside she felt somehow betrayed, though the numbing effects of denial were still coursing through her. She took off down the road at a run, no idea where she was going of even why. She knew she couldn't run from her feelings, or from the horrible revelations of the past hour, but she just had to get away. One more second in that place, listening to all those things, all those…

'Truths,' a treacherous voice whispered in her head. A sob escaped Snow's lips before she forced them back down. She didn't want to believe it but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't find the lies. Emma might not interrupt such a heated argument, not when there was so much she didn't know, but she would never let Regina blatantly lie just to hurt Snow. All of the words were true and Snow knew it.

'It's all my fault. All of it. I took everything from everyone, I didn't care who I hurt, I didn't care what anyone else wanted.' Snow's feet found soft earth and she collapsed, her knees striking the grass, followed by her hands. She rolled onto her back and let her guilt swallow her, anger having lost the battle and denial too weak to provide any more comfort. Her sobs poured out, loud and deep until everything in her ached.

Snow wasn't sure how long she lay there. Hours, probably. Some distant part in the back of her mind told her that she was in danger, that she shouldn't be alone in the park at night when her enemy could be hiding anywhere, but at that moment she simply couldn't bring herself to care. At least if she got captured she'd finally understand what the damn fairy wanted from all of them.

"Are you alright?" The voice made Snow practically jump out of her skin. She scrambled to her feet, heart pounding, and found herself face to face with someone she didn't recognize. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you."

"What are you doing out here?" Snow asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice as she tried to regain control of her breathing.

"I could ask you the same thing." As Snow's adrenaline subsided her curiosity took hold. She knew she couldn't possibly expect to recognize every citizen of Storybrooke, but she couldn't remember the last time she'd looked at someone and not at least remembered seeing them somewhere before. There wasn't even the barest spark of recognition when she looked at this man. He was fairly tall, about James's height, with jet black hair that was only beginning to grey around the temples and green eyes so bright they shone in the moonlight. He was dressed in slacks and a white buttoned shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He smiled as he spoke, a slight crooked smile. It made the corners of his eyes crinkle but it infused his eyes with such deep sincerity that it made him look almost boyish. "I know this is a small town but it's probably not a good idea for you to be out here in the middle of the night."

Snow tilted her head; his comment struck her as odd, and with dawning horror she realized why she didn't recognize this man. She was thankful for the darkness to mask her surprise. "You're not from around here I take it?" She asked as casually as she could, but her heart was pounding again.

"I, uh…spent some time here. Ages ago. But I haven't been back in almost thirty years." He chuckled. "Hard to believe it's been that long. I don't know why it took me so long to come back…" His eyes went slightly glassy and Snow knew he was remembering something from all those years ago.

Snow racked her brain to remember what Emma had told the previous strangers. "There was a fire on the edge of town. The whole place was evacuated and the road was closed. You probably shouldn't be here."

He shrugged. "Yeah, I saw heard about the fire and figured that's what happened. I just…"

Snow's curiosity got the best of her. "Just what?" She asked gently.

"I was hoping to find someone here. Someone I used to know." He looked at Snow as though he were just noticing her. "If the whole town was evacuated, what are you doing here? Do you live here?"

"Uh…I…" Snow stammered. She had no plausible explanation prepared and her sleep deprived, emotionally drained brain was no help.

"Have some of the residents come back into town already?" Snow could see the excitement in his eyes and she knew that there would be no getting this man out of town. Now that her sensibility was returning she also knew that they were both in danger, and she couldn't put an innocent life at risk.

"Some of us. Why don't you come with me and I'll see if I can find you a place to sleep." He nodded and followed Snow back in the direction of her apartment.

"I'm sorry, I didn't ask your name," he said as they walked side by side.

"Mary Margaret," Snow said, thankful that her mind was at least still quick enough to supply a more sensible answer than 'Snow White'. The fact that introducing herself by her own name would make her sound crazy still made Snow's blood boil. 'Damn Regina and her New World name,' she thought bitterly.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm James." Snow had to bite her cheek to keep from smiling. 'Fine,' she thought, 'damn Charming and his New World name, too.' "You can call me Jamie, though," he added.

**Why hello old friend, haven't seen you in a while :P Wonder what you've been up to.**

**I felt a gap between the two halves of this chapter because I wanted to make that little 'scene' its own chapter. It's coming up next and I think you're gonna enjoy it. Lots of emotionally charged revelations.**


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40

**This is the 'missing scene' from chapter 39.**

"You shouldn't have told him about the Enchanted Forest." Emma looked up, surprised to see Snow coming down the stairs just as Regina was coming back into the living room, her precious illustration still in her hand. Snow's voice was oddly flat, but otherwise she gave no sign of any emotional distress. Emma did notice, however, that Snow very carefully ignored Regina as she set the drawing down on the coffee table. Emma caught Regina's eye and gave a crisp nod, as if to say she wouldn't let anything happen to the paper.

"Who are you to tell me what I should and shouldn't tell my son?" Regina said, cold fury seeping into her words as she turned to face Snow. Regina drew herself up to her full height, and Snow copied the motion with defiance, but even in bare feet Regina was still at least an inch taller than Snow. Emma couldn't help feeling a spark of indignation at Regina's words, but she knew better than to interrupt now.

"Henry has pinned so many of his hopes on that book; it means so much to him. He's going to be devastated that the Enchanted Forest is gone when it finally sinks in. Accepting that the Blue Fairy is a traitor is hard enough."

"And what is it you think I should have done differently? Do you think he wasn't going to notice when we freed ourselves from the fairy's bonds and didn't return to the Enchanted Forest? You don't think he would question that?"

"He's been through a trying ordeal these last few days; this isn't the time to be adding more to his plate." Snow's voice was even and calm, which Emma found rather impressive giving the waves of fury and hatred pouring from Regina. The gap between them was very slowly closing as they spoke. Snow kept her voice lowered, no doubt conscience of Henry sleeping in the next. At one time Emma might have accused Regina of being insensitive for not lowering her own voice, but enough time with Henry had taught Emma that a bomb could go of next to the kid and not wake him up. Years of being Henry's mother would obviously teach Regina the same thing.

"How _dare_ you." Now Regina's voice lowered, but far from soft and subdued it was deep and threatening. "How dare you tell me how to handle my child? You know nothing about being a mother."

"Because of _you_." The last word came out just as menacing as anything Emma had ever heard from Regina.

"You don't deserve to be a parent." Now Regina and Snow were face to face, feeling each other's' hot breath on their faces. "You're nothing but a selfish, spoiled brat."

Snow sputtered a laugh. She was no longer keeping her voice down. "You're calling _me_ selfish? You destroyed an entire world just so you could be happy!"

"I suffered enough misery for ten lifetimes because of you! You deserve to be miserable and if I had to bring misery to everyone else along with you then so be it."

Snow threw up her hands in exasperation. "You just don't get it, do you? You think you're so innocent in all this, like the world screwed you over so you're not responsible for your actions. Well guess what? I'm sick of you blaming me. I'm sick of feeling guilty for something I'm not responsible for." Snow pointed a finger towards the coffee table where the illustration lay, her eyes still locked on Regina's. "_I_ didn't kill him. _Cora_ killed him."

Regina took a step back, shaking her head. "You think it's so simple, don't you? One moment, one betrayal, that's all it boils down to for you."

Snow rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "I get it, okay? I get that you were miserable with my father. You were the second wife, the step-mother, always living in my mother's shadow. But you killed my father! You ripped him away from me just so you could have his kingdom! You didn't care about freedom, you wanted _power_."

"So I could make you suffer!" Regina screamed.

Silence fell, Regina breathing heavily, Snow staring with her mouth slightly open. Emma's eyes flicked back and forth between the two; she didn't dare speak. "Did it bring you satisfaction? Killing my father, seeing my grief?" Snow finally said, her voice quiet again.

"No," Regina spat. A hint of a smirk crossed Snow's face but it vanished as Regina lunged forward, bringing them within inches of each other again. "You think it's funny? I was a slave in that palace, nothing more than a glorified nursemaid."

"Yeah, you were so hard done by," Snow said sarcastically. "Living as Queen in a palace, beloved by all the kingdom, wanting for nothing. So what if you had to take care of me? You had no problem taking on the responsibility of a child _here_." She motioned towards the door of the bedroom where Henry was sleeping.

Emma saw Snow's expression shift slightly and it wasn't until Regina stepped back once again that Emma understood why: Regina's eyes were shining with tears. "I killed him. I killed that bastard and I took my freedom, and I took the power he owed me for everything he made me endure. But what did it matter? What did your misery matter? Losing a father is nothing compared to the pain of losing your true love. And my freedom? What good was freedom when I had nothing left to do with it? No love, no hope of a family, nothing but agony and hatred eating me alive day after day. I was a slave in that house and it was all because of you. Everything I lost was because of you."

"You can't keep blaming me for his death. I won't take it anymore!"

"You didn't care about me! You didn't care about Daniel!" Tears were now streaming down Regina's face, and Emma could see Snow starting to lose her composure. "I saved your life! I saved your pathetic life and how did you repay me? You weren't even grateful enough to keep one god damn secret. I _knew_ what Cora would do if she found out, I _knew_ what would happen if you told anyone. I trusted you!"

"Regina, I-"

"You say you were being thoughtful, you were trying to keep me from losing my mother? That's bullshit. You didn't care about me and my mother, you only cared about yourself. You just wanted a mother for yourself again, someone to satisfy your every whim. Day after day, night after night, I had to 'go to Snow White, she's had a bad dream' or 'sing to Snow White, she's had a bad day' or 'sit with Snow White all night, she's ill'. It could never be anyone else, oh no, because I was little Snow's stepmother, that was my duty. Little Snow wants a lullaby, send in Regina. Little Snow wants to go riding, send her out with Regina. Little Snow had a bad dream, send her to Regina's bedroom."

"I was a child! You were my stepmother!"

"Little Snow is such a treasure; we wouldn't want her to share the spotlight with a sibling, especially not a _step_ sibling." Snow and Emma both stared at Regina with identical expressions of shock.

"No," Snow said, shaking her head.

"I may have been your servant, but I was your father's slave. Oh, he wanted a wife and all that came with having a wife. But gods forbid a new wife should mean competition for his precious little girl. I had one last hope inside me, that one day I might find what I had lost in the eyes of a child, and he took that from me." Regina's eyes were black as coals as she glared at Snow.

"My father would never harm a child," Snow said, shaking her head forcefully.

"No, he wouldn't. But he _would_ make sure there was never a child to harm."

There was another long silence. Silent tears were still trickling over Regina's cheeks and Snow looked distraught. Emma wanted somehow to comfort them but there was nothing for her to say. There was so much between them, so much history that she'd never known about, that she had no idea where to even begin. She couldn't help wondering how much of this story Henry knew.

"I gave the curse away, you know," Regina said, her voice flat as she tilted her head. "Do you know when I changed my mind? When I at last found the courage to embrace what Rumplestiltskin offered me so many years ago?"

"My wedding," Snow said quietly.

Regina shook her head. "It wasn't about your wedding. It was about your honeymoon. Do you remember that first night Snow? A new bride, young and in love. A romantic night, no doubt; I seem to remember little Emma coming along some nine months later. Do you know what I spent my honeymoon doing?"

"Stop," Snow whispered, her eyes closed.

Regina took a step forward, clearly relishing Snow's anguish. "I spent that night, and the next three nights, being force-fed foul tasting potions that scorched my insides. All I remember of those nights is pain and fever-filled delusions, while royal physicians busied themselves doing gods know what to me. And when it was all over? When the _honeymoon_ ended and we were to spend our first night together as King and Queen? Leopold whispered in my ear, 'Don't worry, my bride. Our dear Snow is the only child you will ever have to care for.'"

"Why," Emma said, unable to stop herself as a painful silence settled and stretched on for several long minutes. Regina and Snow both turned to her as if they hadn't noticed she was there. Emma kept her eyes firmly on Regina. "Why didn't you just kill Charming? You said it wasn't enough, killing her father…why didn't you kill Charming?" She couldn't help it; she had to know. The Queen had killed so many others, what did one more matter?

Snow swung her gaze from Emma back to Regina, the question suddenly burning inside her too. Regina had had the chance on more than one occasion. Why had she never taken it?

Regina turned her head slowly to meet Emma's gaze, their eyes locked. "I wanted her to feel what I felt. But Daniel didn't deserve to die…and neither did James. I couldn't kill him."

Snow continued to stare at Regina, shaking her head slightly, unable to process everything she was hearing. Finally she looked at Emma, but Emma could find no words to offer her mother. Regina's words – all of them – were the absolute truth. Just as Emma was about to rise from her seat, Snow suddenly bolted. She flew out the door, Emma calling after her frantically, but she disappeared out into the dark street before Emma could catch up to her. She went back into the apartment and saw the bathroom door swing shut, and a minute later she heard the sound of the shower. As she sat down in the living room – head rapidly filling with fog like some chemical reaction as her churning emotions mixed with her exhaustion – she tried to ignore it but there was no mistaking the sound of sobbing that wasn't quite masked by the running water.

**I've seen a LOT of EQ fans out there theorizing that Regina lost a child either at the hand of Leopold or Cora. I like the idea, but I wanted to take it in a slightly different direction. I think it goes a long way towards explaining why she adopted Henry, when it probably would have been easier to have her own child (in this story, anyway, since she wasn't always mayor and never actually wanted to be mayor until she decided to adopt). Also explains why she was so eager to have Hansel and Gretel live with her; again, why not just have her own child? She had the Huntsman, she could have made it happen if she was that determined. And of course losing her chance at a family, at having ANY kind of real love in her life, would certainly go a long way to deepening her resentment towards Snow. I know a lot of fans were disappointed in 'The Stable Boy' because it just seemed like a silly reason to hate someone so much, but I firmly believe there's more to the story than just that one episode. And now, here it is! Haha. Hope you guys agree. Sorry for rambling on, I just really love the Regina/Snow dynamic.**


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 41

**Sorry for the little hiatus, had some personal issues that I had to take care of and it made writing pretty much impossible. Consider it our mid-season break ;)**

"Good morning," Snow said quietly.

Regina stopped short when she saw Snow. She glared for a moment, jaw muscles tightening, then decided to simply ignore Snow. She brushed past to grab a mug from the cupboard, pouring herself a cup of coffee. Not wanting to continue the awkward tension any longer, Regina retreated to the guest room she was currently sharing with Henry. Emma emerged as Regina passed and gave a greeting that was cut off by a yawn. She headed into the kitchen, immensely relieved to see Snow. She wouldn't admit it, but she was awake several hours earlier than usual because she was worried for Snow. Of course they had been roommates long enough for Snow to know Emma's sleeping patterns and why she was awake so early, but she didn't comment.

"I brought home a visitor," Snow said, keeping her voice low. Emma's eyes narrowed and Snow nodded towards the couch. Emma walked over to see a man stretched out on it, sleeping quietly.

"Who is he?" She asked, sliding onto a stool at the kitchen island.

Snow shrugged. "Said his name is James – Jamie. Apparently he was in Storybrooke a long time ago, when strangers were still allowed in."

"He's an outsider? Damn. Why'd you bring him here?"

"I couldn't convince him to leave. We need to keep him safe until we can figure out how to get rid of him. He said he's looking for someone."

"Who could he possibly be looking for here?" Emma wondered aloud, glancing towards the couch.

Snow shrugged as she took another sip of coffee. There was a sharp intake of breath and both women turned towards the couch. Jamie sat up, his hair tousled from sleep. He stretched his arms over his head with a yawn, then rubbed his eyes. "Good morning," Snow said.

Jamie looked over at her, then at Emma. "Morning," he said with a smile. "Don't suppose there's any coffee left?" He stood up with another deep stretch, then joined Emma and Snow in the kitchen where he poured himself a cup of coffee. He took a sip and then turned his attention to Emma. "I don't believe we've met. I'm Jamie."

"Emma Swan. I'm the town sheriff. You know, you really shouldn't be here. The place was evacuated after the fire."

"Emma, we have-" James stopped short when his eyes landed on Jamie, his hand still on the doorknob. August was standing behind him, looking surprised and curious.

"A problem?" Emma supplied helpfully.

"You know, for a town that's been evacuated there sure are an awful lot of people here," Jamie said casually, taking another sip of coffee.

"Someone has to help clean the place up and make sure it's safe for everyone to return. These three are friends of mine and they offered to stay here with me while we wait for the all clear from the fire department. They're having trouble figuring out what started the fire so they don't want to take any chances." Snow couldn't help marvelling at the ease with which Emma's lies flowed. She wasn't sure she should really be proud of such a skill, but it was certainly useful in these circumstances. James was a terrible liar, but at least he was smart enough to keep his mouth shut. Still, one of them would need to come up with an excuse for barging into the apartment, and Snow could only hope that August was a better liar than James.

"They think it's a wiring problem with those lights out at the graveyard. Something sparked and lit the brush. If that's the case we could be looking at months of delays." Emma exchanged a look of gratitude with August for keeping such a cool head.

Jamie sighed into his coffee, sending a small puff of steam into his face. "So this is…?" James asked, closing the apartment door to join Snow in the kitchen. August followed, taking a seat next to Emma.

"James. But you can call me Jamie." He extended his hand to Charming.

"James. And...you can call me James." He took the strangers hand in a tight shake.

Jamie chuckled. "Well this could get confusing. And your name?"

"August. What brings you to town?"

"I spent some time here years ago. I meant to come back, but somehow something always got in the way. Life, I guess. I finally had the opportunity to come back and…well, I'm not sure it was really the most brilliant idea I've ever had, but here I am." He smiled.

"You said you were looking for someone," Snow prompted.

Jamie nodded, smoothing his messy hair with one hand. There was still a certain wildness to it even when he was finished, but Emma suspected that was intentional - a boyhood quirk never quite relinquished. "I…met someone here. A woman." He chuckled. "What else could drive a man crazy for so many years, right? I was head over heels for her, but she didn't really feel the same way about me. Maybe she could have, someday, but I was young and impatient and…stupid. I didn't see the point in waiting. I'm sure by now she has a whole new life, a family. And I've had a good life, I've had love, but…she's always there, you know? Always stuck in the back of my mind, always hovering at the edge of my thoughts." He shook his head. "I must sound crazy to you guys."

"Not at all," Snow said with a reassuring smile.

"What was this woman's name? Maybe we could tell you where to find her." August glanced at Emma and they exchanged a look that said whatever this man's answer, they had to convince him that his old flame had moved on. Emma couldn't help wondering if whoever it was would even remember him, given the nature of the curse.

Jamie stared down into the black contents of his coffee cup. "Regina," he said quietly. "Regina Mills." It was fortunate that Jamie was looking down because every single one of them wore an identical expression of utter shock.

* * *

Emma eased open the bedroom door and nearly jumped out of her skin when she found herself face to face with Regina. She had obviously been listening at the door and knew exactly who was now standing in the kitchen with Snow, James and August. Emma shoved Regina back into the room with a hiss, quickly closing the door. "What the hell is he doing here? I thought you said you took care of the stranger problem!" Regina looked wild, nearly deranged as she paced back and forth, wringing her hands. She seemed to have become completely oblivious to Henry, who was sitting on the bed in his PJs staring up at Emma in utter confusion.

"I didn't cast a spell, Regina, I put up a sign. It'll keep out most people but not someone who's determined to get in. The barrier's been keeping him away for so long he probably headed here the second it broke."

"Well get him out of here!" Regina said in a harsh whisper. Emma could practically feel the waves of panic emanating from her.

"Sounds like he's not going to leave so easily. If I tell him you moved on he's going to ask me to help him find you and I don't have any plausible reason not to."

Regina lunged towards Emma, hand flying out to grab her throat, but a gasp from Henry stopped her dead in her tracks. Emma could see the internal struggle in her eyes – her instinctual reaction to lash out warring with her maternal instincts to protect Henry and anything he cared about. Eventually Henry won and she lowered her hand as though the action required a great deal of strength on her part. "Make. Him. Leave." She whispered through gritted teeth.

"I told you, it's easier said than done. We can't just let him go off on his own. I know you don't want him here, but you can't expect me to believe you want him to get hurt."

"The Blue Fairy isn't interested in some stranger roaming around town."

"She has all of her memories, Regina. And she has it in for you. Can you really be sure she won't recognize him? Won't hurt him to hurt you?"

"He is nothing to me," Regina hissed.

Emma scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Yeah, you've really been the poster child for calm, cool, and collected since he showed up."

Regina looked like she might try to strangle Emma again. "I don't understand. Who's out there?" Henry asked.

"Just someone who came here a long time ago. We can't let him see Regina or he's gonna start asking questions that we won't be able to answer," Emma explained.

"Like why she hasn't aged in 28 years?" Henry asked.

Emma smiled. "That would be the big one, yeah."

"Won't Rumplestiltskin be hard to explain, too?"

Regina and Emma looked at each other in shock. "Shit!" Emma whispered. "I forgot about Rumple. We have to get Jamie out of here before he shows up."

"You'll have to take him to Granny's," Regina said, shaking her head. 'What a mess,' she thought.

Emma nodded. "I'll ask Red to keep an eye on him. You two stay here; I'll be back soon."

"Are you alright?" Henry asked quietly when Emma left.

"I'm fine, sweetheart." But Regina didn't dare turn to face Henry. Instead she stood facing the closed door, willing her gaze to bore through it to the other side where she would see him standing at the end of the hall. She knew he would look different – after all, _he_ hadn't been trapped in time in a town where no one ages – but his voice still sounded the same. His laugh. She knew his smile would look the same, that crooked, boyish grin that made his eyes sparkle. She wondered if he still smelled the same and she found herself taking in a deep breath. The smell wafted around her out of the mists of time and all she had to do was close her eyes and she felt like she was standing right next to him.

It was crushing. To be so close and yet never allowed to touch. It was memories of Daniel all over again. 'But you don't love him,' Regina reminded herself. 'You're not losing your love, not this time.' But somehow the reassurance made no difference. No, Regina would not turn to face Henry. Not as hot tears spilled down her cheeks – she marvelled that she had any left.


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 42

**A little math lesson and some much needed clarification: in my personal head canon, Snow White was 10 and Regina was 20 when they met in The Stable Boy. Since Snow told Emma she was 24 when they came to Storybrooke, that would make Regina 34. Jamie (although I never told you guys this) was 24 when he met Regina (go Regina!), making him now 52. Just a fun fact, Regina is now technically 62, haha xD Now, for the clarification: JAMIE IS NOT DANIEL. Daniel is dead. Period. JAMIE IS NOT AN INCARNATION OF DANIEL. Daniel is dead. Period. JAMIE IS NOT A FAIRYTALE CHARACTER. Daniel is...oh wait, no, that's not right. Sorry, got carried away with the 'rule of three' there. Back to Jamie, then. He is just a random guy from good old planet Earth who happened to enter Storybrooke way back when strangers could still enter the town freely, and he spent about 6 months dating Regina. Now that doesn't mean he's trustworthy, or that he is or isn't meant to be with Regina, but I just needed to clarify those two things. Not that you guys will stop asking, because I suspect several of you never read these notes (I don't blame you, I really do ramble on far too much), but at least it will help some of you ^_^**

"Alright, what's the problem?" Emma asked when they were all finally gathered in the kitchen. Jamie was safely tucked away at Granny's B&B with Ruby on guard duty and Regina had composed herself. She and Snow were standing as far apart as possible, but Emma was relieved to see that otherwise there were no obvious signs of tension. Henry was kneeling on one of the high kitchen stool, his elbows resting on the counter. He refused to leave and August managed to convince everyone that he had a right to know what was going on. Regina pointed out – to Snow's obvious annoyance and Emma's slight discomfort – that they couldn't very well drag Henry out of the kitchen and tie him in the corner of his room, which they would have to do to keep him from listening to the conversation anyway. So everyone agreed – James looking rather pleased to have his grandson with them again – to let Henry in on their discussion.

Rumple seemed to appear as if on cue, and Emma breathed a sigh of relief that Jamie wasn't there to see him. She gave a curt nod, which he returned, and everyone else ignored him completely. Regina scrutinized him curiously for a moment, but when the discussion began she turned her back to him. He remained oddly silent, leaning against the post that divided the kitchen and the dining room, looking down at his boots. Emma still felt a sense of unease around him, especially now that he was free, but she imagined it was nothing compared to Regina's knowledge that he had absolute control over her.

"Jiminy spotted Jefferson outside your place last night. He tried following to see where Jefferson went, but he disappeared under some kind of spell," August explained.

"The Blue Fairy," Emma sighed. August nodded. "As if the fairy wasn't enough, now we have to figure out what Jefferson wants?"

Snow scoffed. "We know what he wants." She cast a pointed look at Regina.

"He wants his daughter back," Regina said, purposely glancing down at Henry. The reminder managed to cool Snow's anger.

"But she should have regained her memories when everyone else did. Why would he need the Blue Fairy's help now?"

"Maybe she enlisted his help before the curse broke and now he can't get out of the deal," August suggested.

Emma sighed. "We can speculate all we want but we're never going to figure out what he's up to by standing around here talking. We're not going to figure the fairy out either, for that matter. I'm sick of this chitchat; we need to _do_ something."

"We need information. We're just going around in circles right now because we don't know where they are or what they're doing and what they want. We need a way to figure it out." Snow looked around but no one seemed willing to offer any suggestions.

"I don't suppose you want to jump into this discussion?" Emma said sarcastically, looking over her shoulder at Rumple.

"I have nothing to add, Dearie. Reul Ghorm is powerful, even here. I can't find her any more than you can." Emma recalled what the Blue Fairy had said about her magic being either powerful or accurate, but not both. Well, she wouldn't need accuracy to hide. There was more tense silence, and once again no one had anything to offer.

Except one person. "Sydney!" Henry exclaimed.

"That's...not a good idea," Regina said, resting her hands on Henry's shoulders.

"Why not? He could find the Blue Fairy without her even knowing. He could spy on her!"

"I'm confused," Emma said, shaking her head. August shared the sentiment.

Henry gave an exasperated sigh. "Sydney used to be a genie. Mom…"

"I don't think we really need the details," Regina muttered. She felt her cheeks burn slightly but she kept her head held high.

Henry looked at her for a moment, then continued. "Well, King Leopold found his lamp and freed him, then gave him the last wish in the lamp. The genie wished he could be with my mom forever and he was trapped in the mirror he gave her as a present. He can travel to any mirror anywhere, and his magic lets mom see what's happening remotely through any reflective surface. He's the perfect spy!"

Emma nodded, remembering Snow frantically covering the mirrors around the apartment. She looked at Regina, eyes narrowing. "If you've been able to spy on her this whole time why haven't you been doing it?" She remembered the mirror clutched in Regina's hand during their first post-curse confrontation.

"Sydney didn't rejoin me after the curse broke. I tried summoning him to my mirror, but nothing happened."

"Gee I wonder why," Snow said, no longer able to contain herself. "It's not like you made him take the fall for a crime he didn't commit or anything."

"Would you give it a rest?" Emma said, holding up her hand to stop Regina from saying whatever she had opened her mouth to reply. She looked at Regina, who turned her head slightly towards Emma but couldn't tear her gaze away from Snow. "Is Sydney compelled to come when you summon him or could he just be hiding somewhere?"

"He's compelled to dwell in whichever mirror is closest to me unless I request otherwise."

"Is it possible he didn't go back into the mirror when the magic hit? Maybe he became a genie again instead. What do genies even look like, anyway?" August's brow furrowed.

"He was freed from his bondage as a genie long before the curse took hold. If he didn't become trapped again he'd be a regular man."

"So he'd still be in prison then," James said. "We should go find him."

"He's been locked up all this time? Who's been taking care of him?" Snow asked, horrified.

"The guards at the prison are loyal to me. I checked on them after the curse broke and they're all still attending to the prisoners," Regina said, her voice flat. "Sydney…isn't in his cell," she added. It was subtle, but Emma saw her shift her weight slightly and it didn't take a superpower to know that Regina was lying.

"Regina," Emma said carefully. With all the changes that had come over Regina lately it was impossible for Emma to figure out exactly what Regina's motive in lying might be. After all, she knew Emma could detect the lie, so why risk it? She had to give Regina the benefit of the doubt, at least for now, and letting the others know – especially Snow – that she was lying would only destroy the very fragile foundation of trust she had earned by helping them. Emma couldn't admit it to herself in that moment, but she desperately wanted to believe that Regina's intentions were pure. "If we could find Sydney, and he still had the ability…would he help us?"

At this Regina raised her head to look Emma square in the eye. "No. He wouldn't."

* * *

As the discussion continued in the kitchen –once again going in circles with their hopes of Sydney helping them now dashed – Henry slipped out of the room and headed down the hall. As he approached the door he turned to look at Rumple. Their eyes locked for a very long moment, and then Rumple silently followed the boy into his bedroom. They closed the door, and Henry pulled out his massive storybook, which he dropped onto the bed with a loud thud. Rumple eyed it greedily but made no move to reach out for it. "That's a very powerful book, you know," he said quietly.

"I know. Do you know who wrote it?" Henry asked.

"I have my suspicions." Rumple winked, a grin spreading over his face.

Henry nodded solemnly. He, too, had his suspicions. "There's a lot of information in here. Stuff I bet even you don't know."

"Indeed…" Rumple muttered, unable to tear his gaze away as Henry began flipping absent-mindedly through the book.

"My mom's lying, you know," he said, his head turning back and forth slowly as he watched the pages flip.

"You're very observant," Rumple said slowly, now eying Henry curiously.

Henry shrugged, stopping at an illustration of the Mad Hatter. He looked up at Rumple. "I just know her. And more importantly I know _why_ she's lying."

"Do you?" Rumple's curiosity was now burning. Here was this boy, this young lad for whom Rumple – and Gold – had long harboured a soft spot, with precious information that Rumple himself didn't have. The thought was maddening. The thought of all the knowledge trapped in those pages, all the precious secrets, practically made his mouth water.

Henry took a deep breath, readying himself. He gave a brisk nod, as if to assure himself one final time that he was doing the right thing, and said, "I want to make a deal."

Rumple's grin stretched wide and his eyes sparkled. "Ah…my boy, I was hoping you'd say that. I'll need to know your terms, of course."

"I want you to free Sydney and convince him to help us."

Rumple raised an eyebrow. "You believe I'm capable of such a thing?"

"I know you are," Henry said with a slight smirk.

Rumple struggled to keep his laughter in check; he couldn't risk anyone noticing their exchange, not when he was so close to something he _knew_ would be invaluable. "And what is it you're offering in return?"

"Not so fast," Henry said. "There's more."

Rumple chuckled. "Of course. Carry on."

"You have to _promise_ that no matter what I tell you, no matter what information I give you, you will _not_ harm anyone that I, Emma, or my mom care about. And you won't hurt _them_, either."

Now Rumple's grin vanished, and his eyes flashed. "What are you saying, boy?"

"That's the deal. You promise me those two things, and I'll tell you what I know."

"And how can I be sure the information you provide will be of any interest to me?" He asked, cursing himself for losing his cool – never acceptable during a negotiation of such importance.

Henry smirked again. "I think we both know it'll be plenty interesting."

Rumple stared at the boy, careful mask slipping to reveal his agitation. Still, it was hardly an astronomical price to pay to satisfy such agonizing curiosity, if nothing more. Eventually Rumple drew in a long breath and slowly clapped his hands as he let it out. "Henry, m'boy, you're a natural." He held out his hand and Henry shook it. "We have ourselves a deal."


	43. Chapter 43

**I didn't edit this chapter at all, just so everyone knows. My eyes are a little stressed out right now from all the time I've been spending on the computer. Between work and writing this fic and writing other things they're getting pretty sore, and it's been too hot to go out and do much else. So I apologize if there are more spelling/grammar mistakes here than usual.**

Chapter 43

_"Do you remember that night?" Snow asked._

_ Regina nodded. "Of course I do."_

_ "I think things changed for us then," she said sadly. "I've never understood it."_

_ "Of course not. You only remember that night. But me? I remember the next day."_

"Regina? Regina. Regina!"

Regina awoke with a start, her brain fogged with sleep, leaving her disoriented. It was nearly pitch black, with only a slender crescent moon and a brilliant array of stars shedding light through the high tower window. Her eyes adjusted quickly and she could just make out the blurry image of someone standing next to her bed. She rubbed her eyes with both hands while a yawn escaped. When she looked again she saw, very clearly now, the face of her stepdaughter. "What's the matter, sweetheart?"

"I can't sleep," Snow said, pouting slightly.

Regina sat up, grabbing her heavy nightgown from the bedpost and slipping it on. She shivered in the late night air. "Would you like a lullaby?"

Snow scoffed. "I'm too old for lullabies."

'Shouldn't that make you too old to sneak into our bedchamber at night?' Regina thought, lack of sleep making her irritable. "I don't know what to tell you, Snow. I haven't been sleeping well myself lately."

"I know. That's why I came. I just thought…maybe you'd be awake."

Regina raised an eyebrow. "Well you pretty much guaranteed that by waking me up."

Snow smiled, supressing a laugh so as not to disturb her father, who was still sleeping soundly next to Regina. "I'm sorry. It's just…" She fidgeted slightly, dropping her gaze to stare down at her feet.

Regina sighed. She didn't really need Snow to tell her what the problem was. She carefully slid out from under the covers and pulled on her slippers. "Go get dressed," she said, wrapping her nightgown tightly around her. She shivered in the freezing night air.

Snow's eyes lit up and she kissed Regina on the cheek before zooming out of the room. Regina got dressed as quickly as she could, the cold and exhaustion making her even more miserable and tired, but the more she moved the more awake she felt until at last she was fully dressed and as fully awake as an already sleep-deprived person can be in the middle of the night. At the very least her mood had greatly improved by the time she pulled on her thick winter shawl and descended the tower steps to meet Snow.

"Where are we going?" Snow asked, eagerly following Regina.

"You'll see," she whispered, holding a finger to her lips as a sign to Snow to be extra quiet as they made their way towards the oak front doors of the palace.

Once outside, Regina led the way to the stable. It was dark but both she and Snow had large oil lamps in their hands. When Snow realized where they were heading she let out a small gasp, but Regina ignored her and she remained silent. Once inside the stable all Regina could think about was how much she wanted to just grab her horse and get out. The smell of the stable made her sick – but not for the typical reasons. She set down her lamp and quickly and expertly saddled her horse; he was a prized steed given to her as a birthday present on her sixteenth birthday. She remembered Henry explaining to her, upon presenting her with the gift, how young Daniel had hand-selected the animal, insisting it was of a superior quality. And she remembered how proud Daniel had been when his father had agreed with his son's assessment and assured Henry that Daniel had a real eye for quality. It had become something of a secret code between them in the years to follow – a secret 'I love you' when they weren't alone and needed to be discreet. 'Well you know, sir, I have a real eye for quality,' Daniel would say while discussing horse business with Henry, and Regina would have to hide her grin.

Now the thought only put her stomach in knots.

Still, Gryphon was the only thing in Regina's life that reminded her of Daniel in a sort of warm, comforting way. He was a gentle animal, but only to those he trusted. Since relocating to Leopold's castle he had become fiercely loyal to Regina – perhaps sensing her unhappiness in this place – and would no longer allow anyone to ride him. Except Snow, the young girl for whom Regina, despite her bitterness and her better judgement, cared a great deal. Regina couldn't stop her eyes from wandering to Snow as she worked to ready the horse for their ride.

Snow's childhood was rapidly coming to an end. Before Regina's eyes she had blossomed from a young girl to a young woman. There was still much of the child remaining, which was clear in her excited restlessness and the gleam in her eyes as she watched her stepmother work. Regina remembered herself at fifteen, sneaking out to meet with Daniel in the orchard, and she quickly pushed the thought away. "Come," she said to Snow when her task was complete. "We can ride together."

Regina remembered the years it had taken for Snow to overcome her fear of horses. Ever since her own steed went wild and nearly killed her, Snow had never been quite the same around them. She still respected the animals, and she was comfortable around them, but actually getting on one was another matter. She could climb into the saddle, and had gone on a few short rides in the days leading up to her father's wedding – following Regina's advice – but hadn't truly ridden again since the incident.

It wasn't until about a year ago, shortly after her fourteenth birthday, that Regina finally convinced Snow to get back on a horse – and actually ride it. She'd seen how Snow watched other riders, yearning for their freedom, and the feeling was all too familiar to Regina. She couldn't allow such misery to continue and finally had ordered Snow out to the stables and onto Gryphon. He was the biggest, fastest, scariest horse Regina could find. She'd approached him the day before and made it very clear that he was to let go of his lousy attitude and let Snow on his back without complaint; a message he had obviously taken to heart because he never again protested when Snow climbed into the saddle. Leopold had been impressed, and thrilled to see his daughter once more embracing an activity she loved. His kindness towards Regina – always present, if often distant – grew much warmer after that and Regina's misery began to lessen, though it would never completely fade.

"Where are we going?" Snow asked as Regina mounted the horse and pulled Snow up behind her.

"That's for Gryphon to know and us to find out," she said, and Snow giggled. Regina gave Gryphon a gentle prod in the ribs with her heel – 'such a sensitive creature,' Regina mused – and they were off at a leisurely trot.

It didn't take them long to reach their destination. Just before they did, though, Regina brought Gryphon to a stop and told Snow to lift her shawl over her eyes. She protested half-heartedly, but quickly lifted the garment over her head so as not to spoil the surprise until they arrived. Regina urged Gryphon forward, up a steep slope, and in minutes they were at the summit. "Alright," Regina said, "we're here."

Snow pulled her shawl back down and gasped. Regina chuckled as they both dismounted. Snow ran over to the edge of the cliff, her eyes lighting up at the sight before her. "Are those…?"

"Fireflies," Regina confirmed with a nod.

"They're so beautiful!" Regina just nodded again, taking a seat on a nearby fallen log that had long ago been dubbed 'The Lovers Bench'. Snow turned to looked at her, grinning. "Come, you have to look! You can see everything from up here! The whole kingdom, I bet!"

"I know, dear. I've seen it many times."

"Really?" Snow asked, tilting her head curiously.

"Yes. As a girl. My family used to live just a short ride away." 'But of course I never came here with my family. Not my biological family, anyway.' The thought made Regina's stomach tighten into knots again. Maybe this wasn't such a brilliant idea.

"Did you…come here with Daniel?" Snow asked, her voice quiet, hesitant. Of course she didn't know the truth about Daniel – Regina had spared her the guilt and heartache of knowing the truth – but she knew nonetheless that Regina's heart had been broken.

Regina couldn't bring herself to speak, so she simply nodded her head. Snow turned back to the landscape sprawled underneath them, quiet for a long time. Regina slid down off the bench and stretched out on the soft grass, hands behind her head, to stare up at the stars. Eventually Snow approached and lay down next to Regina. "This is a beautiful place. Thank you for showing it to me."

"Of course, dear."

"I've missed you lately. There are so many things to do to prepare for the ball, and it seems as though we haven't even been living under the same roof."

Regina recalled something Daniel had once told her. She had always guarded Daniel's words deep in her heart, fearing if she shared even one they might all slip away. But as she turned her head to see the sadness in Snow's eyes, that ever-present yearning for maternal love that Regina struggled to provide, she couldn't think of a better moment to share her treasures. Or a better person to share them _with_. "We're always under the same roof, Snow. You, me, even those who are no longer in our lives. We all dwell under a roof of stars."

Snow rolled onto her side, wrapping one arm around Regina and snuggling close to her. Regina wrapped her own arms around the girl, feeling the sting in her heart that always accompanied thoughts of Daniel, but in that moment she felt as though she could actually endure it.

* * *

"Ah, good morning, Your Majesty." The young servant curtsied, her head bowed low.

"Good morning, Violet. Was the king called away this morning? I wasn't aware of him having any pressing business but he was gone from my side when I awoke."

The servant straightened up, keeping her head bowed as she spoke. "No, My Queen. He requested we servants let you sleep this morning. He's out in the stables with the princess."

Regina nodded, a little confused. What could they possibly be doing out there? Leopold almost never entered the stables, preferring to have the stable hands ready his mount ahead of time and bring it to the gates of the palace. She quickly pulled on her riding boots, though they weren't entirely appropriate with her current attire, and headed out to the stables to satisfy her curiosity. She felt surprisingly well rested after her late night journey with Snow and their time together had done wonders to improve her mood. She was almost eager to join her husband, feeling as though the familial bonds between the three of them had strengthened considerably in the last year and continued to do so.

But when Regina at last reached her destination and came to realize exactly what was going on, she stopped dead in her tracks. Her heart seemed to freeze in her chest. "Regina, my dear queen. Look here at Snow! She's a natural talent, and this beautiful steed shall serve her well in the years to come, don't you think?"

Snow was grinning broadly, flushed from the chilly air whipping her cheeks as she galloped through the pasture. She was now trotting back from her exhilarating ride to rejoin her father. And the beast that carried her through such joyous activity? Gryphon, Regina's prized steed, her one and only comforting connection to the man she truly loved. The last tiny ray of sunshine still pouring warming light into her soul, now blocked by the same oppressive blackness that had stolen all the rest. "That's lovely, dear," she said flatly when Snow approached. 'One day I will end both of your miserable lives,' a quiet voice whispered in her ear. And suddenly Regina no longer had the strength, or even the desire, to silence it.


	44. Chapter 44

**Ah, Dracomom, always good for a chuckle. Not to mention the fact that a grammar Nazi like yourself is too enthralled by my story to remember my errors really brings a smile to my face. Put down the notepad and just enjoy the ride, haha xD And THANK YOU for hitting the nail on the head! Yes, Regina most definitely would have shared Gryphon with Snow, but that's the tragedy of this woman: so many little things could have altered the course of her life drastically. And yes, my personal issues are resolved, though my eyes are still giving me some trouble. Thanks to minorshan for helping me with that ;)  
**

Chapter 44

**Taking you back to before Snow and Regina's reminiscing. Next chapter will be the present day conversation that accompanies the flashback. In the meantime, get ready for it RumBelle fans ;)**

"You can all stop worrying," Henry said, sliding onto the kitchen stool again.

Regina glanced down at him, brow furrowed. She was annoyed with herself for not having noticed his absence. "What are you talking about?" she asked.

"I know how we can get Sidney back," he said, carefully avoiding Regina's gaze.

"Henry," Regina grabbed his shoulders, turning him to face her. She bent down slightly so they're eyes met. "What did you do?"

Henry couldn't bring himself to look his mother in the eye. He knew what was coming and he couldn't help cringing at the thought. "I…told him about Belle."

Regina's breath hitched and her mouth fell open slightly. She looked like Henry had just stabbed her in the gut. She shook her head, eyes wide. "Gods…Henry, how could you?" There was pain in her voice and Henry at last looked up to see her eyes shining. He hadn't anticipated this particular reaction.

"It's okay," he said. "I made him promise not to hurt you. Or anyone else. And I made him promise to free Sidney and convince him to help us."

"Regina, what's he talking about?" Emma asked.

But Regina just shook her head, unable to speak. She turned her back on everyone, arms wrapped around herself. Henry looked up at Emma, a hint of pleading in his voice as he explained. "Rumplestiltskin's in love with Belle. She was locked up in the Enchanted Forest but…"

"I told him she died," Regina finished. She didn't need to turn around – she could feel everyone's eyes on her back.

Henry sighed. "When I realized Rumple wasn't with Belle after the curse broke I figured Belle was still locked up somewhere. I knew…"

"You knew I was lying. About Sidney," Regina muttered.

This time everyone's gaze swung to Emma. "She was telling the truth about him not helping us," Emma protested.

At this Regina turned, her eyes on Emma. No one noticed. "How could you not tell us she was lying!" Snow yelled.

"It doesn't matter!" Henry shouted, and everyone fell silent again. He let out a quick huff, shaking his head. "The point is, I figured she would put Sidney in the same place she put Belle. She didn't want us looking for Sidney because she didn't want to risk Rumple stumbling across Belle and getting mad. Well, now the problem's fixed. He's not going to hurt anyone _and_ he's going to set Sidney free."

"Spill," August said to Regina, looking annoyed.

She raised an eyebrow, unimpressed with his tone. Emma tilted her head, prompting her to speak, and she sighed. "The prison must be some sort of duplicate of the one I had in the Enchanted Forest. There was an enchantment placed over it to block magic inside the cells. If the enchantment was brought over, which it most likely was, Sidney would have been unaffected by the magic that entered Storybrooke. Once he's let out of his cell he'll return to his genie form and, at least I suspect, be trapped as the magic mirror again."

Snow shook her head. "Unbelievable. You expect us all to trust you and yet, here you are with a way to help us and you've been hiding it all this time because you don't want to risk your own skin. Nothing's changed."

"Well you're not helping right now. You two are being stupid."

"Henry!" Emma, Snow and Regina said simultaneously.

"Well, you are!" he said fiercely, glancing around at all of them. "You're all on the same team now. You're the good guys, the heroes. You can't be fighting all the time, or you're never gonna get anything done!"

"Anyone else think it's sad that the kid had to point that out?" August said quietly when no one else spoke. Snow and Regina hung their heads, both feeling deeply embarrassed and ashamed.

Emma sighed. "Henry's right. You two need to figure out a way to work together. We have serious problems to deal with and you two bickering isn't getting us anywhere." She spoke gently, knowing that this was not an easy task for either woman, but even Emma's patience was wearing thin.

"I guess now we're back to waiting. I imagine Rumple's gonna be a while," August said.

"I need a drink," Emma muttered, and left the group to track down whatever whisky Regina hadn't already polished off.

* * *

"I'm sorry, you can't…" the nurse froze as her eyes took in Rumplestiltskin. She recognized him immediately and felt her blood run cold.

"Afternoon, dearie. I believe you have something of which I am in need. Care to make a deal?" The nurse opened her mouth to speak, but before any noise could escape her lips Rumple waved his hand and the woman vanished in a puff of smoke. Rumple watched with a satisfied smirk as a tiny spider scurried across the desk, and just as it was about to vanish from sight he swung his hand down and felt the insect squish under the weight of his palm. "Terribly sorry, but I'm in a bit of a hurry. You understand." He flicked a finger of his clean and a heavy set of keys zoomed towards him. He grabbed hold of them with a satisfying clash.

He walked down the long, dingy, hospital white hallway, past countless names he didn't care to read, seeing countless faces. Some he vaguely recognized, some he knew well, a few he had never met, but none of them were of any significance. He came to a halt beside a door that read 'Jane Doe', this one with the viewing window closed, and felt his heart begin to race. He grabbed hold of the tiny handle and for a long moment simply stood frozen. It occurred to him then that he had no idea what to expect on the other side of the door.

Belle, he knew, would have regained all of her memories from the Enchanted Forest when the curse broke. She would recognize him instantly. But would she still love him? Could she ever love him again after what he'd done to her? And perhaps even more important was the question of what exactly she had endured in her prison, and how the last 28 years might have affected her. It occurred to Rumple that he didn't know whether Belle had kept her memories of her true identity or not. And if she hadn't, what new memories had been set in their place?

'I'll explain it to her,' Rumple silently vowed. 'I'll explain Bae, Reul Ghorm, the Dark One, everything. She'll forgive me. She'll understand what I had to do, why I couldn't give up the power, and she'll forgive me.' He tensed his hand, ready to ease open the tiny window, when another voice inside him said, 'But can she forgive you for bringing that power back? After all, you don't need magic here to find Bae.'

"Yes, I do," Rumple growled quietly. With that conviction he pulled the window open and peered inside the cell…only to see an unfamiliar woman facing him, sound asleep of her tiny bed. He slammed the window shut and felt cold disappointment settling in.

'She's here. Just keep looking.' So he set off again, stopping twice more at cells with closed windows holding female prisoners, each time with the same sense of hesitation. With each failure his frustration grew, until at last he came to another cell that read 'Jane Doe' and this time simply yanked the door off its hinges with all of his magical strength.

There was a loud gasp, barely audible over the crash of the door as Rumple threw it aside. Before he had time to even look inside the cell he felt arms clinging to his neck with surprising strength. He was stunned, and for a moment his mind reeled as he imagined an old enemy trying to choke the life out of him. And then he inhaled, and he was filled with the familiar scent of lilacs and a hint of citrus that somehow, impossibly, lingered in her skin even after all these years. Rumple grabbed his 'attacker's' shoulders and held her at arms length.

There was no mistaking her. Even in her white hospital gown, her long hair falling in dull tangles, there was no mistaking her beauty. "Belle," Rumple said breathlessly.

"Is it really you? I… I thought you'd never come for me." She struggled to look him in the eye, ashamed of her doubt.

"Oh, Belle," he said, pulling her back into a tight hug. Her tension drained away instantly. "I'm so sorry," he said heavily. He struggled to rein in his anger as he said, "I thought you were dead."

"You did?" She asked, pulling back slightly to look into his eyes.

"Yes. But that doesn't matter right now. All that matters is you're alive, and we have all the time in the world to be together now. There's nothing standing in our way anymore." He smiled, a little hesitantly.

Belle smiled and raised a hand to Rumple's cheek. "Behind your beastly mask beats the heart of a boy, Rumplestiltskin. Someday…" But she let her voice trail off. Rumple thought he knew what she wanted to say. There was a sadness that clouded her smile now and he longed to erase it.

"I owe you an explanation," he said.

"You don't owe me anything," she assured him, shaking her head.

"Yes, I do. You deserve to know everything. I… I don't deserve your love after what I've done..."

"Don't say that-"

"No, no, it's okay. I treated you terribly; I sent you away, I…" Rumple gave his head a sharp shake. "It wasn't cowardice that made me turn away from you, and I need you to understand that. You will know everything very soon, I promise."

"After we get some new clothes and a good meal?" Belle asked with a hopeful smile.

Rumple chuckled. "Of course, dear. But first I have a deal to uphold."

He took Belle's hand and led her back down the hallway, thankful that this time he knew exactly what name he was looking for. Before long he stopped in front of a cell that read S. Glass. "Who's in there?" Belle asked.

"A very important ally." He turned to look at Belle, another realization striking him; she didn't know about the Blue Fairy's betrayal, or Rumple's alliance with the Queen, or even Emma and her role in the town. Did she know about the curse? He shook his head. There would be time to explore her memory later. "Stand aside here. I don't want him seeing you while I speak to him."

Belle did as she was told, curiosity burning now. Rumple opened the cell door and grinned. "Mr. Glass, lovely to see you again. Or is it Genie of Agrabah?"

Sidney stood, eyes darting around as though looking for some escape. "I know who you are," he said, breathing slightly heavily.

"Wonderful, that will save us time. Now, if you'll kindly come with me…?" He held out his hand, careful not to actually put his hand _in_ the cell.

Sydney looked long and hard at Rumple's outstretched hand, wheels turning in his brain. Then, at last, he took several slow steps forward and reached out his own hand. But just as his fingers closed around Rumple's, he gave a sharp and incredibly strong pull and Rumple stumbled into the cell. As he passed over the threshold he felt a terrible weakness pass over him and knew that his power was gone. 'It's only temporary. You'll have them back as soon as you leave. Keep your head!'

"Very clever, Genie," Rumple said, not quite able to mask his anger even if he could hide his panic.

"I knew it," he hissed. "When the curse broke I should have returned to _her_. This cell is the only thing preventing that."

Rumple sighed, straightening up to his full height again. The pain in his leg was no worse than it had ever been as Gold, but having it return so suddenly and unexpectedly was making it difficult to ignore. Deciding that perhaps his usual methods weren't the best approach in this situation anyway, Rumple gave into his pain and sat down on the threadbare mattress behind him. He explained the curse being broken, his bringing magic using the power of Lake Nostos, the Blue Fairy's betrayal, Regina's sacrifice and subsequent loss of power – of course he glossed over the details, knowing how important it was to paint Regina as a changed woman – and finally their helplessness and their need for his help as a spy.

When at last Rumple had finished, wishing her could see Belle's face as she too digested all of this information, Sidney scoffed and rolled his eyes. "You expect me to give up my freedom to help _Regina_?"

"You call being trapped in this cell _free_?" Rumple asked, incredulous. At least as a mirror he could travel anywhere he liked. Well, with Regina's permission.

"I'm free from _her_. That woman may have enchanted me once, but I'm done letting her ruin my life."

"We're not asking you to help Regina," a voice said, and both men looked at the door to see Belle standing there. She gave Sidney a faint smile. "We're asking you to help _everyone_."

"All I want is my freedom. And I know _he_ can offer it," Sidney said, pointing at Rumple.

Rumple clapped his hands together. "It's settled, then. You help us find and capture the Blue Fairy, and I shall grant you your freedom."

Sydney shook his head. "It's not that simple. _Regina_ has to release me."

A slow grin spread over Rumple's face. "And she will."

"How do you know she won't refuse?" Sidney asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Oh, I'm quite persuasive. All I have to do is say the _magic word_." He giggled.


	45. Chapter 45

**Okay, I've been noticing this for a while but it's finally annoying me enough to comment: a lot of reviews are getting attacked by some ffnet monster o.O I quite often read reviews and there will be random words missing her and there, making it difficult to understand what the poster is trying to say. Seems to affect mar's reviews particularly badly, making certain reviews partially incomprehensible. I have no idea why this is but really wish someone on the site would fix it. You e-mail address (I'm assuming it was there in your original review) got eaten, Dracomom. Very confused by this o.O**

Chapter 45

**Always happy to grant reader requests when I can, EliCS/elichiang. I can promise you there will be plenty more Regina/Emma to come, starting with a little taste in this chapter and more to come very soon. I love it just as much as you guys do! As for Evil Charming, can't say I've ever really thought about it, but it's definitely an interesting dynamic to explore. Can't say if or when you'll see it, but I think it's a request I can grant (not in any sort of romantic sense, mind you, cause…ew…but I think you'll enjoy it nonetheless).**

"Regina…"

"You knew what Gryphon meant to me. How important he was to me."

"But I had no idea-"

"Don't you _dare_ tell me you didn't know about Daniel. Don't you dare tell me you didn't know Gryphon was my last connection to him. None of that matters. You knew I was miserable and you knew that Gryphon was the only true friend, the only comfort, I had left in the world. But did that matter? Of course not. My happiness never meant anything to you. I bent over backwards to care for you, to show you love and compassion. I pushed aside my pain for you, spared you the truth to spare you the agony of guilt, and how do you repay that? By being a selfish brat. And your father-"

"Don't talk about my father." Snow's voice was quiet but threatening.

Regina, who had so far been sitting on a bench not far from the apartment, now stood to bring herself face to face with Snow. "You think he was some sort of hero? A kind soul; a good man? He was a king like any other. His word was final, his power was absolute. He could have told me of your desire for your own horse, and I would have helped you choose, sharing Gryphon with you until you found the perfect companion. But gods forbid the king's daughter should have to _share_ anything."

"It's not my fault. Any of it."

And to Snow's absolute shock, Regina said, "I know."

They stood staring at each other for a long time, Regina's gaze cold and shielded, Snow's wide and incredulous. Snow opened her mouth several times to speak but she had no idea what to say. Regina seemed to be suffering from the same dilemma, but she didn't bother even trying. At last it was Snow who found her words first. "Who is this Jamie guy?"

Regina stared at her for a moment, brow furrowed, before asking, "_That's_ what you want to know?"

"At the moment," Snow said with a shrug.

"He's no one. Just someone I met in the early days of Storybrooke, before strangers were prevented from entering."

"He's who Rumple was talking about, isn't he?" Regina raised an eyebrow questioningly. "He made a comment when you told us about the barrier you made him put up. He said you weren't trying to keep anyone _in_. What he didn't say is that you were trying to keep something out. Jamie."

"I knew he would come back. He was so young and I…"

"You were his first love," Snow said, tilting her head to the side with a slight smile.

Regina felt slightly disoriented by this drastic change in Snow's demeanour. "Yes."

"And because he couldn't come back he never got any closure." Snow and Regina both turned, startled, to see Emma approaching them.

"How long have you been listening to us?" Regina asked in an accusatory tone.

Emma rolled her eyes. "What'd you expect, lady? That's my mom you were ready to throttle an hour ago." Snow forced a slight chuckle, but Regina didn't bother. Neither woman was in any mood for humour and both felt emotionally drained.

"It's not as if I can give him any closure now," Regina said, staring off in the direction of the B&B.

"He's not the only one who needs closure," Emma said quietly.

Regina scoffed. "I knew the man for six months. He's been gone for 28 years."

"He was obviously here long enough to leave an impression. And you sure as hell left an impression on him. Guy's got it _bad_."

Snow watched as Regina's eyes filled with sorrow. "He didn't deserve that," she said, her voice thick with emotion.

"It's not your fault," Snow said reassuringly.

Emma was completely lost. "What do you mean? What did you do to him?"

"I knew he was falling in love with me. I should have sent him away, but…I just…I couldn't."

"Of course not. You were in love with guy!" Emma said. She wasn't confused by Regina's feelings – she'd seen it before; people who feel they're unlovable pushing away potential lovers to 'protect' them – but she was completely baffled by Snow's apparent acceptance of Regina's view. Was this the same woman who believed so strongly in true love? Whose love had helped create a potion powerful enough to undo a curse that destroyed an entire realm and transported its citizens to a new world? But Snow was looking at Emma as though she should be pitied, and Regina looked vaguely disgusted.

"My love is dead," Regina said, shrugging off the comforting hand that Snow offered. "I don't want or need your pity," she spat at Snow, who took a slight step back before regaining her composure and straightening herself up.

"You have to move on eventually, Regina. The curse is broken; you're not trapped anymore. Life _is_ going to move forward for you, for all of you, now. You need to learn to move with it."

Snow and Regina exchanged a glance, then looked back at Emma, both narrowing their eyes as though trying to decide if Emma was telling the truth. But what was there to question, Emma wondered. Before she could continue the conversation there was a muffled yell and Snow and Emma turned, trying to identify the sound. Regina, however, merely reached into her pocket and pulled out a small compact mirror.

"Hello again, Sidney," she said, hoping there was no trace of emotional turmoil left on her face – or in her voice.

"_Your Majesty_," Sidney drawled, infusing all of the contempt he possibly could into those two words.

"I see you came through," Emma said, looking at a spot behind Snow. Regina spun to see Rumplestiltskin standing a few feet away.

"Indeed. Of course, our dear friend is not offering his services freely."

"He wants freedom, I take it," Snow said.

"Who wouldn't?" he asked with a grin. "But of course, I don't have the power to offer him such a thing. Not alone, anyway. No, that needs to come from someone else. Regina dear?" He tilted his head, smiling at Regina.

"I know about your deal with-"

Rumple's movement was so quick Emma barely even saw it. He had his hand around Regina's throat before anyone could blink, hoisting her up in the air. She kicked her legs violently, but Rumple didn't even flinch when a blow connected with his body. She clawed at his hands, but even as her nails tore into his flesh he didn't relinquish his grip. "You. Lied. To. Me." he growled, an inhuman fury burning in his eyes.

"Rumple, no! You made a deal!"

"No deal is worth letting her live!" he roared.

Regina grabbed Rumple's arm, taking just enough pressure off her throat long enough to choke out the word "Belle" and finally, with a little more strength, "coward."

And suddenly, to Emma and Snow's complete shock, Rumple released Regina. She felt to the ground in a heap, gasping and choking, rubbing her neck which was now red and raw. "You broke your deal with Henry!" Emma shouted, putting herself between Rumple and Regina.

"Emma," Regina said, voice raspy, "let it go."

"No! It's hard enough trusting him already, now we can't even trust him to stick to a deal?"

"I'm still alive," Regina pointed out, slowly getting to her feet. The statement tapered off into a short coughing fit.

"Can we get on with this?" a voice said, and everyone looked down at the mirror Regina had dropped. Emma picked it up.

"Yes, do be quiet dear. Please." Regina glared at Rumple and mouthed something Emma couldn't quite catch, as though someone had pressed mute. Rumple giggled, all of his anger now gone – or at least well hidden – then gave an exaggerated frown. "My dear, that wasn't very nice."

"Right, so glad you're enjoying yourself," Sidney said sarcastically. "The Blue Fairy is protected by magic, which means I can't use magic to find her. I _can_ travel to her location by physically traveling from mirror to mirror, but it's going to take time for me to find her. Once I do, things should go a lot quicker."

"Once we know where she is, is there any way to identify what kind of magic she's using to protect herself? To disable it?" Emma asked.

Regina opened her mouth to speak, but quickly closed it when she remembered she couldn't. Rumple stepped forward, forming a circle with Emma and Snow that excluded Regina, clearly taking great pleasure in her frustration – though probably not as much as he got from strangling her. "Yes, and possibly. But it's very likely that I won't be able to break her spell."

Emma visibly deflated. "Then what do we do?"

Regina huffed, her arms over her chest. "Something you'd like to say, Dearie?" Rumple asked in a sing-song voice, but he didn't turn to see Regina's glare. Emma suspected he didn't need to turn to feel the heat of her rage. Her suspicions were quickly confirmed. "Don't look at me like that, Dearie. You deserve far worse for your crimes and if it weren't for that brilliant little brat you raised and my debt with Belle, you'd get it."

Regina growled in frustration, burning to spit out a nasty comeback. "You know you can't keep that up forever, right?" Emma said, looking at Rumple with a raised eyebrow.

"Perhaps. But you know, I've been around for quite some time, and I've learned something in that time." He grinned. "One must enjoy the silence when one can." He winked.


	46. Chapter 46

Chapter 46

***sigh* no, Jamie is not Baelfire. Why is everyone having such a hard time accepting that Jamie is just a regular guy? xD Relax, he doesn't have to be from FTL to be entertaining.**

"Are you coming?" Emma asked as everyone headed inside. Regina shook her head. "I'll make him undo the spell. Come on, it's not safe out here."

Regina sighed and followed Emma inside. The four of them, including Rumple, went back inside to fill James and August – and, stubborn as always, Henry – in on what had happened. They left out the part about Rumple strangling Regina but Emma noticed Henry eying the marks on Regina's neck suspiciously. He didn't question them, though, and Emma decided that was probably for the best right now.

"We should let everyone know what's going on," James said.

"There's not much to tell them right now. We should wait until Sidney can actually tell us where the fairy is," August argued.

"It would ease some of their worry to know that we have a plan," Snow said.

"And what if our plan doesn't work? They're back to waiting."

"I think Snow's right," Emma said quietly. "It's one thing to sit around waiting, but right now they need leadership. They need to know we're finally doing something, that we finally have a plan."

"We'll have to tell everyone about Regina. They're going to ask about her when Sidney's name comes up. Plenty of them have witnessed the power she could exert through that mirror." August looked up at Regina from his seat in the kitchen.

Regina rolled her eyes, landing her gaze on Rumple. Emma shook her head. "Take the spell off, Rumple. If she has something to contribute then we need her to tell us."

"What did he do to her?" Henry asked angrily.

"It's alright, Henry. He just made it so she can't talk. But he's going to undo it now." She lowered her tone to one of greater authority. Rumple gave a lazy flick of his hand.

"You need to tell everyone that Emma now possesses my power," Regina said. Her voice was slightly hoarse, but that was more likely from the strangling than the spell. Emma was relieved that the others would most likely attribute it to the latter. "They trust her. Once they know I'm…powerless," she struggled to spit out the word, "it won't matter if they trust me or not."

"They're still gonna have trouble accepting help from Sidney," August said.

"Sidney has no power on his own, apart from being a spy. He merely acted as a channel for my magic."

"Does that mean I can use him to channel magic somewhere else?" Emma asked, suddenly eager to know the answer.

"Hmm…possibly. His ability never worked for other magic users in the Enchanted Forest – his wish bound him to me exclusively – but since you now have _my_ magic…it's hard to say."

"It's worth a try," James said with a shrug.

"Well we still can't do anything until Sidney gets back," August said.

"I'm going the hospital. I understand your concern, August, but those people are counting on James and I to be leaders now." Snow headed to the door, having never removed her coat.

"I want to come, too," Henry said, jumping down from the stool. "Please, Snow?"

Emma shrugged. "He _has_ been cooped up for a long time. It might be good for him to stretch his legs."

"Are we walking?" Henry asked, looking up at Emma.

"Of course we're walking. How else would we get there?"

Every single pair of eyes suddenly turned to Emma, all with various degrees of amusement. "I don't believe it," Regina muttered, shaking her head. She lifted her gaze to the ceiling, as if appealing to the gods for an explanation. "She goes to all the trouble to steal my power and forgets she even _has_ them."

"I didn't _steal_ anything," Emma said defensively.

"She does have a point. You can teleport now, remember?" August said, unable to hold back his grin.

Emma's cheeks flushed, which only made her more irritated. "I'm not used to being able to do that. I just forgot, okay?"

"Right, well…we can't all go to the hospital. I mean…" Snow's eyes flickered briefly to Regina. She didn't want to trigger any more hostility between them.

"Sorry, 'Gina, looks like you're stuck holdin' down the fort," August said, his grin broadening.

Regina shuddered. "You did not. Just call me. 'Gina." She turned to Emma. "Has he been drinking?"

"Cut it out," Emma muttered to August, but she had to turn her back on Regina to hide her own smile.

"I don't think Rumple should come, either," Snow said, unaffected by August's childish behaviour. 'You'd think those two were brother and sister,' she thought of Emma and August.

"We can't leave them here alone!" Henry said, casting a worried glance towards Regina. As she met his gaze she could see the fear – and, even more tragically, the guilt – in his eyes and it made her heart ache. She longed to tell him he'd done the right thing in making that deal with Rumple, but now wasn't the time.

"I'll keep an eye on them," James assured Henry, giving his shoulder a squeeze. "You guys go on; seeing Snow will be comfort enough for the time being."

"Wait!" Henry said, and he raced off down the hall.

"Where's he going?" August wondered aloud.

"To get his book," Emma and Regina said in unison. Emma smiled but Regina was unimpressed.

Seconds later, Henry rejoined everyone in the kitchen, looking wide-eyed and panicked. "It's gone! The book is gone!"

Everyone turned an accusatory eye towards Rumple. He rolled his eyes. "These incessant accusations are becoming tiresome. Have I not proved my trustworthiness time and time again?" Regina rubbed her neck as a subtle reminder of just how 'trustworthy' Rumple could be. He merely grinned.

"Did you take the book?" Emma asked him, not caring how 'insulted' he was.

He tore his gaze away from Regina to look at Emma, widening he eyes dramatically. "No."

"It had to be the Blue Fairy," James said.

"Why would she steal it?" Henry asked with a slight twitch of his nose.

"Why _wouldn't_ she steal it? That thing's full of information," August said.

"None of which is of any use to Reul Ghorm," Rumple said slowly, stroking the length of his neck with one long, black fingernail.

"What do you mean?" Emma asked, her frustration rising.

"The Blue Fairy wrote the book. She already knows everything that's in it," Regina explained. She looked down at Henry, who returned her gaze. "She's the only one who could have, right?"

Henry smiled and nodded enthusiastically. "It was written after Storybrooke was created, and she's the only one who kept her memories after the curse was cast. Well, except mom of course, but we know _she_ didn't write the book."

"How do you know it was written after Storybrooke was created?" Rumple asked, curious.

Regina looked at him, surprised. "How did you know she wrote it if you didn't know when it was written?"

"Reul Ghorm and I are the only beings in this land with enough knowledge of the Enchanted Forest and it's neighbouring realms to have written such a thing. I know I didn't write it, so by process of elimination…" He waved his hand in an elegant flourish.

Regina shook her head. "Henry showed me a passage depicting a conversation between us. One of our first real discussions about the curse. There was a brief moment in the dialogue when you mentioned strangers being unable to enter the new town that would be created, but that was never part of the curse until after we'd already come here. Whoever wrote the book had to have written it here in Storybrooke."

"Why would she include that detail at all?" Emma wondered.

"She wanted to make it as comprehensive as possible, but she couldn't include anything about Storybrooke in a book about fairy tales so she had to improvise," Henry said, delighted at the turn the conversation had taken.

"But why write the book at all?" Regina asked, glancing around at everyone.

"The same reason you thought Rumplestiltskin wrote the book: she wanted me to read it so I'd want to bring Emma here."

Emma shook her head. "The Blue Fairy didn't want the curse to break, Henry. She wanted to push Regina into weakening it until everyone's false identities became permanent."

"So she never intended Henry to have it," Regina said, eying Rumple suspiciously.

"Oh, my wounded heart," Rumple said, clutching his chest. "Again with the accusations, dearie?"

"One of them is bound to stick to you sooner or later," Regina said, her eyes now fixed on his as a slow grin spread over his face. He giggled.


	47. Chapter 47

Chapter 47

**Just a quick note about Mary Margaret's apartment: I don't really remember the layout very well in the show, and I'm too lazy to watch it all again to refresh my memory. I'm trying to at least be consistent within my own story, but I don't know how successful I'm being. Sorry for any inconsistencies, but it's not really vital so just go with it.**

"Tea?" Regina looked up, startled from her thoughts. James was looking down at her expectantly.

"Pardon?" she said.

"I'm making tea. Would you like some?"

Regina's eyes narrowed. "Why are you offering?"

James chuckled. "You think I have some ulterior motive in offering you tea?"

"It's a bit strange," Regina said, her expression unchanged.

James sighed and walked back towards the kitchen. "The world you live in must be a scary place," he called over his shoulder.

"Indeed," Rumple murmured. Regina shot him a glare. "Please stop looking at me."

Regina's head snapped down forcefully, making her hiss in pain. She let out a growl of frustration but no matter how hard she tried couldn't turn her head or her eyes towards Rumple. "Dammit, imp, enough of your petty games!"

"Oh, don't talk to me about _petty_, dear. You-" but his words were cut off as James shoved a steaming cup of tea under his nose. He stared at it a moment, nearly going cross-eyed in the effort, then gingerly took it from James with two long, skinny fingers. "Yes, thank you, dearie."

James walked from the couch to the armchair and handed Regina her own cup. She took it without comment. She noticed that Rumple had silently lifted the spell and she was now free to glare at him once more, but she didn't bother. James took a seat on the opposite end of the couch from Rumple, closest to Regina, and began to sip his own tea. Regina watched as his breath caused a puff of steam to billow out of the cup and cover his cheeks and forehead in a light sheen of moisture. She remembered how she used to hate the sensation of steam on her face as a child and even as a young adult. She'd used her magic to force the steam away from her as she drank. 'Such trivial applications,' she thought, taking a sip of tea. Living in Storybrooke, she'd eventually grown accustomed to the sensation, just as she had grown accustomed to manually styling her hair and walking across the room to fetch objects - well, walking anywhere, really. It made her wonder if having her magic back was really such a good thing at all. She also couldn't help wondering if Emma would eventually suffer the same dependency.

Out of the corner of her eye Regina noticed James give a start and she looked up. James looked at her. "He vanished!" he said. Regina looked over to see Rumple had indeed vanished. She shrugged, taking another sip of her tea. "It, uh...just startled me," James muttered, his cheeks slightly flushed.

"Seems her stole your teacup," Regina said, noticing the vacant coaster on the table. "You should really be more careful with those around Rumple; he has a nasty habit of growing too attached to them." She smirked. James merely stared at her, confused by the comment. Regina waved her hand dismissively.

"How long have you known him?" James asked after a few moment of silence.

Regina looked down into the dark depths of her cup. "Since I was a child, I suppose. But I didn't really know anything about him until after..." James nodded. He knew she was referring to Daniel's death, perhaps even after Leopold's death and her ascension to the throne. "Why are you doing this?"

James met her gaze, taken aback by the question. "Doing what?"

"Bringing me tea. Attempting conversation."

"Why shouldn't I?" he asked with a shrug.

"Because you hate me."

Her words hung in the air between them for a long time. They stared at each other, each trying to read the other's expression, but the distance between them made it impossible. They hadn't really interacted in the Enchanted Forest, and all of their interactions in Storybrooke had been filled with nothing but lies and deceit. They knew nothing of one another save what they had heard from others. "Yeah," James finally said.

Regina shook her head as her eyes filled with tears. She cursed her emotional incontinence; her bout in prison had stripped her of her carefully constructed mask and with no real target in sight for her hatred she couldn't even summon_that_ as a shield. She set her tea on the table and hurried out of the living room. The idea of fleeing made her skin crawl, but she refused to give the bastard who'd so recently tried to kill her the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

Which was a mark of how little she really did know the king, because his own eyes were filling with tears as he thought of the loving stepmother he'd once heard Snow describe, and the broken women he'd just hurt even more.

* * *

"Well?" James said when everyone returned to the apartment.

"Where're Rumple and Regina?" Emma asked as Snow buried herself in James's arms.

"Regina's in the bedroom and Rumple left," he replied. "What's wrong?"

James could see the worry in Emma's eye as she started to speak, but Snow beat her to it. "They've turned on us."

James looked down at Snow, then at Emma. "What do you mean 'turned on us'?"

"We told them about Regina and everyone just lost it," August said, shaking his head wearily.

"They're scared and angry and confused and upset, and they feel like they have no leader." Emma gave James and Snow an apologetic look. "It boils down to frustration. They need to do something, and they need a target for all of their emotions. The Blue Fairy's treachery is so inexplicable and incomprehensible that they don't know how to deal with it, so they're turning their attentions to someone they think _deserves_ their hatred."

"Regina," James supplied. Emma nodded. "Didn't you tell them about her magic? About Emma taking it?"

"It only added fuel to the fire. To them it just means Regina's defenceless now."

"What a mess," August murmured, collapsing onto the couch.

"They're coming after her?" James asked, ready to play the valiant protector once again if need be.

"We'll take her to the mausoleum. She'll be safe there. But..." Emma hesitated. "It's not Regina I'm worried about. It's you two. Once they realize they can't get to Regina they're going to be angry."

"We failed them as leaders," Snow said sadly.

"Don't talk like that. We're in the same situation as everyone else. We did everything we could; it's not our fault the Blue Fairy betrayed us, or that her magic is too powerful for us to simply capture her and lock her away. They're all filled with hatred and vengeance; exactly what brought us here in the first place._T__hey_ are the ones who've failed themselves and this town, not us, Snow."

"Emma?" Henry said quietly while August offered Snow and James words of encouragement.

"What is it, kid?" Emma asked, kneeling down in front of him.

"I'm gonna go with my mom for a while. To the mausoleum."

Emma nodded, ruffling Henry's hair. "I think that's a good idea. You'll both be safe there."

Henry glanced down, then nodded. Emma knew what he was thinking: he thought Emma was confused about his motives, but didn't have the heart to clarify. What he didn't know was that Emma was painfully aware of exactly why Henry wanted to accompany Regina. He wasn't concerned for his own safety - he had proven that time and time again. What he really wanted was quality time with his mother. Emma had realized it over the last few days - she may have given birth to the boy, but Regina was his 'real' mother. It made her heart ache more than she cared to admit. And yes, as much as it disgusted her, she felt the green-eyed monster roaring in her chest whenever the word 'mom' crossed Henry's lips. So she did the only thing she could, for Henry's sake, and pretended she simply didn't notice the resurgence of the mother-son bond between Henry and Regina. And Henry, though Emma knew he was acting just as much as she was, let her go on pretending; he at least loved her enough for that.

"Go get Regina and I'll take you both to the mausoleum," Emma said, giving his shoulder a squeeze. He nodded and headed for the hallway that would lead to the guest room he shared with Regina.

"Don't worry, Snow. He said it himself: finding her is going to take time." Emma gave August a questioning look as she rejoined the conversation. "We were just discussing whether Sidney should have returned by now."

Emma nodded. "It's going to take time to-"

Her words were cut off by frantic yelling as Henry raced into the living room. "Mom's gone!"

"What do you mean 'gone'?" Emma asked, bewildered.

"She's not in her room! There's no sign of her anywhere!" He was hysterical and his eyes were rapidly filling with tears. Even if Regina had left of her own free will - which Emma doubted, though she wasn't about to voice those doubts - she would be in a lot of danger without her magic or even someone to protect her. Not only was there an entire town after her, but she wasn't even aware of the danger yet. And if Emma was right, and she hadn't left on her own...

"We'll find her," Snow announced resolutely, seeing the worry and fear in Emma's eyes. 'Strange how much she seems to care for the woman,' she couldn't help thinking.


	48. Chapter 48

Chapter 48

**Fear not, BrittanyLS, there will be no SwanQueen (Emma/Regina relationship) in this story, and as for Henry, you should really have more faith in me by now ;-)**

Jamie awoke with a start, momentarily disoriented by the unfamiliar surroundings. He sat up on the bed - which was much too small for his liking but incredibly comfortable nonetheless - and looked around for the source of the disturbance. He wasn't sure what had awoken him, as nothing seemed to be amiss in the room. Deciding it was probably just the lingering unease of being in an unfamiliar - not to mention mostly deserted - town, he stood up to look out the window. As he stretched, trying to coax his tired muscles out of their resting state, he noticed something odd. Sitting on the little writing desk in the room was a monstrous book that didn't belong to him. In fact, he didn't recognize it at all, and he was sure he would have noticed it immediately upon entering the room. He glanced around, suddenly nervous. The innkeeper was supposedly out of town, as was everyone else except the sheriff and her friends. So where had the book come from?

Curiosity winning out over his fear, as curiosity often does, he sat down at the desk and took a closer look at the book. "Once upon a time," he murmured, brushing his hand over the raised lettering of the title. He opened it to the first page and noticed then that several pages had been bookmarked, and each bookmark was numbered. In no mood to read the entire volume anyway, he flipped to the story marked #1 and began to read. He quickly understood that this was a book of fairy tales, though they were far from the stories he was familiar with. In fact, they didn't appear to be the original Grimm stories, either. These were similar and recognizable, but the similarities were vague. With each creative twist of the story he wondered again and again where the book had come from, and who might have written it - for clearly it was the work of some storyteller who'd taken great liberties with these classics.

The story that intrigued him the most was that of Little Red Riding Hood. He couldn't help being impressed by the plot twist. With a slight yawn he flipped to the next story, at last feeling his fatigue draining away. He suspected this story had something to do with Aladdin, but as he read further he realized it was an entirely unfamiliar tale. 'This is my beautiful daughter Snow,' he read. He wondered if this was some adaptation of Snow White, though he couldn't quite understand where the genie fit in. Then his eyes fell on something much more intriguing, and he felt his pulse quicken. 'And Regina, my wife. The queen.'  
"Regina?" Jamie murmured, staring at the name. He burst out laughing. "Oh man. Jamie, my man, you got it _bad_!" He chuckled as he continued reading the story.

His interest began to wane slightly as the story continued, but not because it was no longer interesting; every time he read the name his mind was flooded with images of the woman he'd known, and curiosity burned inside him. Where was she? What had happened to her? Was she married? Did she have children? Did she even remember Jamie? Did she still care about him at all? For what must have been the thousandth time he wondered why he had decided to come at all. Twenty-eight years was more than enough time to move on, find a new love and a new life. 'So why haven't I?' he wondered miserably.

As he continued to work his way through the book, sticking to the numbered bookmarks but wondering idly at the seemingly random order, he noticed the character Regina - later referred to as the Evil Queen - becoming more and more prominent. He thought once he stopped seeing the name Regina on every other page - replaced by her regal title instead - he would be able to focus more fully on what he was reading, but the face in his memory became tangled with the character he was discovering until he could no longer separate the two. It was strange, but something in the way the character was described, and even the way she spoke, reminded him forcefully of the Regina he knew. "Stark raving mad," he muttered, rubbing a hand over his face. He chuckled at his own ridiculousness.

Still, the idea had been planted, and eventually he read the single line that made it take root and grow.

* * *

"Daydreaming, are we?" Regina spun to face the intruder. She felt a chill travel down her spine as she took in the greenish, gold-flecked skin and the inhumanly large eyes, but she wouldn't allow her unease to show. The intruder let out a high-pitched giggle that made Regina shudder as though he'd just scraped his long, blackened nails across a chalkboard.

"Rumplestiltskin," she drawled, lip curling in a slight smirk.

He frowned. "I see someone's been doing her homework."

"You can't hide information from me for long, _Rumple_."

"I shall endeavor never again to underestimate you. _Your Majesty_." He gave a deep bow, but his tone was gleefully mocking.

Regina frowned slightly at his tone, but she couldn't help straightening slightly at the title. _Your Majesty_. Not that the title was new, but where once it had merely been words now it was something significant. Not only was she free at last, but the kingdom she'd spent so many hours gazing over longingly was hers to rule, and hers alone. Of course, the announcement had yet to arrive. Technically, she was still locked in the tower, kept prisoner by the awaiting palace guards, but she would be free soon enough. It was only a matter of time before the pathetic, love-sick genie's work was finished and the body discovered. Then there would be no choice - Regina was, legally, still the Queen whether her husband was alive or not, and she would be granted all of the authority that comes with such a title. And then, at last, she would let loose the magic she had so hungrily cultivated over these long, lonely, miserable years, and the kingdom would bow to her every whim. The prospect was deliciously satisfying. And yet...

"What do you want, imp?" she asked, her voice taking on a new note of playful authority. Yes, she would enjoy this new power indeed.

"I simply wish to greet an old friend. Is that really worthy of suspicion?"

"Everything you do is worthy of suspicion," she said with a lazy roll of her eyes, her arms crossed over her chest.

Rumple made a 'tsk tsk' sound. "Such cynicism. Though I expect such an attitude will serve you well in the future."

"Enough riddles and games. Either tell me why you've come or leave my palace." She tried not to let her glee show at the thought of having the entire palace to herself, but she suspected it glinted in her eyes despite her efforts.

She thought she saw a flicker of...something...cross Rumple's face, but it was gone before she could identify it. "I've come to offer you a gift," he said simply.

Regina struggled not to burst out laughing, but couldn't suppress a grin. "A gift? That's ridiculous."

"I suppose it _is_ more of a deal, but as you'll be coming out so much farther ahead I find it difficult to call it such. Really, the wording is unimportant. What I'm offering you, dearie, is _power_."

Regina turned her back on Rumple, returning to the balcony where she'd been looking out at the kingdom so far below before this interruption. "Go on," she said, her curiosity piqued but caution prevailing.

"I'm offering you the chance to rule. To reign over a kingdom of your _own design_. You will have absolute power over not only your kingdom, but the people therein as well." He scurried over to stand next to Regina, always moving as silently as smoke.

"Your offer doesn't interest me," Regina said with a bored sigh.

Rumple stared at her a moment, head tilted to one side, intrigued by the change that had come over the queen. Rumple knew she had changed a great deal since childhood - and for the better, at least for his purposes - but this attitude was unexpected to say the least. A miscalculation or simply a turn of events for which he had not yet accounted? No matter. He would proceed with caution to uncover the source of his misstep and sooner or later he would make the necessary correction. It wouldn't do to let Regina see him at all unnerved. "You would have power, my dear, power the likes of which you cannot imagine."

"I have all the power I need. Your offer doesn't interest me," she repeated.

Interesting... "You would rule over all the citizens of this kingdom."

Regina turned to look him in the eye, smiling. She winked. "Maybe I already do."

**Since I know a lot of you are going to miss this little connection (fair enough, it was a long time ago, lol) I strongly suggest you go back to Chapter 11 and re-read the very last line.**


	49. Chapter 49

Chapter 49

**Wile. E, I can't say much about Baelfire, but he will tie into the story eventually.  
****To make things easy, Regina's thoughts will be written in italics in this chapter.**

"Do you think her disappearance has something to do with the book?" Jiminy asked when Emma had finished her brief explanation of the current situation.

"The book isn't really my priority right now," Emma said, leading the group towards the inn.

"Where are we going?" Henry asked, struggling to keep pace next to Emma.

"To find Red. We need all the help we can get if we're going to find your mom."

"We _are_ going to find her, aren't we?"

Emma stopped dead and looked down at Henry. He came to a stop just in front of her. She crouched down close to him, wishing they weren't surrounded by so many people - and other creatures. At least everyone was considerate enough to keep their distance for a minute. "Henry, remember what I told you? I find people; it's what I do. I'm gonna find Regina."

Henry, lowering his voice to be as quiet as possible, said, "Last time the Blue Fairy took her..." Emma looked into his eyes as they filled with tears and knew that Henry was voicing his deepest fear. He had lost Regina once - he couldn't handle it happening again. Emma's greatest fear, on the other hand, was how badly damaged Regina would be after another round of torture at the hands of the Blue Fairy.

"Emma, it's getting late," Snow said softly, placing a hand on Emma's shoulder.

"No! We have to go now!" Henry said, wide-eyed.

"Emma and I are still going to talk to Ruby. She can start tracking tonight and tomorrow we'll pick up the trail. In the meantime, Henry, you need your sleep. We're going to find her, sweetheart." Henry wrapped his arms around Snow's waist, suppressing his sobs but unable to hold back his tears.

"Come on," James said, gently pulling Henry away from Snow and lifting the boy into his arms. He and August headed back towards the apartment, while Snow, Emma and Jiminy - now perched on Snow's shoulder - continued on towards the inn.

"You don't have to feel guilty, you know," Jiminy said.

"What do you mean?" Emma asked.

"I've seen the look in your eyes when he talks about Regina. Your jealousy is perfectly natural."

"I'm not jealous!" Emma growled.

"Emma..." Snow put her hand on Emma's shoulder again, forcing her to stop.

"We don't have time for this!" Emma said angrily, whirling to face Snow.

"Jiminy's right. I've seen the way you look at them together, the look on your face when he calls her mom and not you. Emma, I understand-"

"No!" Emma shouted, bringing herself close to Snow. Her eyes were blazing. "Don't you dare tell me you know what it's like. What I'm going through. You have no idea!" Emma dug her hands into the roots of her hair, gripping tightly, tears falling now. "I hate her! I hate her for _everything_ and I can't _do anything_ about it! I hate that Henry loves her, I hate that I have to save her because it would kill him to lose her, I hate that Henry already has a mom and I don't know where I'm supposed to fit in his life, I hate that...that..." she collapsed to her knees, choking out her words between sobs. "I hate that she's a better mother than I'll ever be."

Snow knelt down and wrapped her arms around Emma, who sobbed heavily against her shoulder. "Henry has more than enough room in his heart for you, Emma," Jiminy said reassuringly.

"Listen to me," Snow whispered in Emma's ear. "Regina's had ten years of practice. Believe me, Regina made plenty of mistakes along the way. Give yourself time to learn. You've grown so much already, but you still have a long way to go. Henry _loves_ you. And Emma," Snow lifted Emma's chin, forcing her teary eyes to meet Snow's, "you still get to be part of his childhood. Be thankful for that."

Emma stared into Snow's eyes, her sobs subsiding and the flow of tears slowing. She stared into the face - the impossibly young face - of the woman she'd once become friends with; her first real friend. The woman who used to seek _her_ advice. The woman who had changed so drastically since the breaking of the curse it almost gave Emma whiplash. The woman she'd spent her whole life searching for and now struggled to face alone. Her mother. The weight of what they had lost - their life together - pressed down heavily on them, but Snow managed a weak smile as she pulled Emma into another tight hug. Emma felt a swell of emotion as she hugged Snow, at last feeling the true implications of their relationship. She'd finally done it: she'd found her mother.

'Just let go, Emma,' she urged herself. 'Just say it. Please just say it.' And to her own amazement, she did. "I love you," she whispered, tears streaming down her face again.

"I love you, too," Snow said with a mix of laughing and sobbing.

* * *

Regina let out a groan, her head pounding. _Not very sporting_. She tried to lift her arm to feel the back of her head, but she couldn't move. She opened her eyes, blinking them several times, but she quickly realized that she was in absolute darkness. Struggling to keep her panic at bay, she closed her eyes - not much point in having them open anyway - and mentally assessed the situation.

There were no ropes or tape binding her hands and feet, but they were immobile nonetheless. _Not surprising_. With a little creativity and a lot of effort, Regina managed to push herself up off the ground and into a sitting position. A wave of nausea washed over her but she ignored it. She felt around with her hands as much as she could, feeling cold, dirty stone against her fingers. She did the same with her feet, trying to determine if there was anything in the room that might be of any use. What she found was the last thing she expected: a body.

No stranger to dead bodies, Regina still couldn't help recoiling. Being tied up in a pitch black basement was enough to get her heart racing - she did _not_ need to share her space with a corpse. As she struggled to steady her breathing, heart hammering, she heard a rustle. It was faint, but in that room it might as well have been a gunshot. Regina started, nearly toppling over, panic flooding her until she realized that the sound was coming from right where she'd felt the 'corpse'. Relief overtook her panic as she listened to...whoever...take in a sharp breath.

"Seems I'm not the only prisoner here today," she said, amazed at her own ability to keep her voice calm and casual ever while her heart was racing. "Just for my own sanity, as I can't see your face, would you mind telling me where exactly you stand on the whole 'kill the Evil Queen' front? Not that you can do much damage in here, but I'd appreciate the chance to brace myself against your hostility." Regina couldn't help the playful sarcasm; it was a sort of default for her.

There was a long silence except for the sound of quick, panicked breathing from Regina's companion. Then, "Regina?" Panic released its grip on Regina, quickly replaced by a tidal wave of emotions so complexly intertwined that she couldn't possibly identify them all. Her heart seemed to stop in her chest, her breathing along with it. "Regina, is that really you?"

"I..." words were failing her. What was there to say? There was certainly no escaping this prison, not without mobility and magic - and, oh yeah, sight - which meant there was no escaping her fellow prisoner, either. "It's me, Jamie," she said at last, nearly choking as she forced the words out.

"So it's...you...you were just kidding, right?"

A_bout what? Oh, yeah, I just outed myself as the Evil Queen. Right._ "What are you doing here?" she asked, dodging his question. _Right, Regina, he just waltzed down here and tied himself up. Probably knocked himself out, too. You know why he's here._

"Regina...tell me I'm crazy. That book, that letter, it's all-"

"What letter?" Regina interrupted. _Is he talking about Henry's book? Dammit!_

"The-the letter, stuck in the book after the last story that I read." His words came out rushed and panicky.

"What did it say?" _Like I really need to ask._

"You don't know?"

_Uh-oh_. "Should I?"

Silence. Then, in a quiet and somewhat defeated voice, "Shit. It had your signature on it. I thought it was from you."

"What did it say?" she asked again.

"It said...oh man, this is gonna sound crazy." _Try me._ "It said Red Riding Hood was standing guard outside the inn. And she's...well, she's a werewolf. It gave me instructions how to slip past her. It said...that you were sorry you had to push me away, but you were trying to protect..." he trailed off, and Regina heard the telltale rustling of him fidgeting nervously.

"The curse," she finished for him.

"How did you know that?" _Put two and two together, Jamie._ "This is ridiculous. This is crazy. None of this is true; it can't be!"

"You were willing to believe it when you followed that letter and snuck out of your room," she reminded him. _Wait, why am I trying to convince him those stories are true? Oh gods, he knows about all the horrible things I've done._ Regina didn't wait for Jamie to speak. "REUL GHORM!" she bellowed.

"What are you doing?!" Jamie hissed.

"Getting that fucking fairy to show her face. What, still afraid of me even without my magic?" Regina yelled. She knew her words would likely go unheard, but she didn't care.

"'Gina, what's going on?"

Regina growled. "I _hate_ when you call me that!"

And to her amazement, in the middle of a dirty, pitch black basement, hands and feet bound and immobile, Jamie laughed. That same, heart melting laugh that no amount of time could ever change. "I know."

There was a brief pause before Regina asked, her anger subdued now, "Then why do you do it?"

"It never fails to get your attention." She couldn't help it. She laughed.

She heard more shuffling as Jamie struggled - of course he was bound, too - to move closer to Regina. "You've gotten old since we last saw each other," she said, hoping he could hear the teasing smirk in her voice.

"Oh, and you haven't?" When Regina remained silent, Jamie sighed. "It's really true, isn't it? That book. The, uh, curse."

Regina echoed his sigh. "It's true. All of it."

Jamie's head was spinning, struggling to process what he was hearing. It couldn't be true. Snow White was a fairy tale. Heck, it was a Disney movie! The Evil Queen was a cartoon villain, not the beautiful, powerful woman he'd fallen in love with. 'Powerful,' he thought, feeling a shiver run down his spine. "So Red Riding Hood..."

"She _is_ a werewolf. But she was protecting you, not keeping you prisoner."

"Protecting me...from...?"

"The Blue Fairy. Reul Ghorm. It's a long story."

"Of course," he said, nodding despite the fact that Regina wouldn't see the movement. There was a note of sarcastic cheerfulness in his voice, and he wished his hands were free to bury his face in them. 'Notice anything missing, Jamie? Like, I dunno, ropes maybe? Why is it you can't feel any ropes around your wrists, but you still can't move them?'

"You're taking this remarkably well. Took Emma months to believe in the curse."

"The sheriff?"

"Another long story."

"Ah. Naturally." Regina couldn't help laughing at the tone of his voice. Their whole predicament was so ridiculous she couldn't help it.

A sort of numbness set it for Jamie as he forced himself to push aside the disbelief and the confusion. He focused instead on the woman next to him; the deep, smooth voice, no longer echoing in his dreams but actually issuing for the flesh and blood woman whose face still haunted him. He had wondered a thousand times what that face would look like now, how life had changed it, and now..."So...you really don't look a day older than you were when I left?"

"No," she confirmed. "Shallow bastard," she added.

He laughed. He couldn't help it. "I'm in a cursed town full of fairy tale characters with the Evil Queen from Snow White, being held captive by...a fairy? Seriously? Excuse me for grasping desperately at the silver lining." There was another silence, but without seeing her expression Jamie had no way of knowing what had caused it.

"I'm not her anymore," she said at last, voice sounding strangely small.

Jamie inched a little closer until they were at last touching. Something hit Regina in the nose and Jamie laughed softly, murmuring an apology. Then she felt the cool flesh of his forehead pressed against hers, and the warmth of his breath on her cheek. "I don't think you were ever her. Not here."

Regina was suddenly grateful for the darkness; James wouldn't be able to see the tears streaming down her cheeks. But he would know they were there anyway, because even as her brain screamed at her to push him away, her body betrayed her; she tilted her head slightly and knew he would taste the salt of her tears as their lips met. _So many years, and even his kiss is the same._


	50. Chapter 50

Chapter 50

**Mar - It does say right in the fic's description that there's no SwanQueen, and it wouldn't be fair to the readers who came here looking for a non-SQ fic to just change my mind the middle of the story. Doesn't mean you can't enjoy Regina/Jamie, or the Emma/Regina relationship that I've developed in this story ;-)**  
**Second half of this chapter goes back to just after Regina's talk with Prince Charming. Time to fill in the gap between their conversation and her ending up in the cellar.**

"Red!" Emma called, seeing the woman racing towards them.

"Something's wrong," Snow said, seeing the look of worry on her friend's face.

"Jamie," Red panted as she approached, "he's gone."

"You have _got_ to be kidding me," Emma said, shaking her head in disbelief. First the book, then Regina, now Jamie? Just what was this fairy trying to do?

"He snuck past me," Red said, her cheeks flushing slightly at the admission.

Snow shook her head. "That's impossible."

"Don't make her feel worse, Snow; everyone makes mistakes," Jiminy said.

"No, Snow's right. There's no way he could have slipped past me by accident. He had to know what he was doing," Red explained.

"But how? There's no way he could know what you are, and even if he did, he wouldn't believe it."

Snow looked at Emma, eyes widening slightly in an 'ah ha' moment. "Someone gave him the book to inform him about Red, and probably the curse."

"And Regina," Emma supplied, nodding along with Snow's revelation. "But what does he think is going on?"

"He must think Red was there to keep him captive," Jiminy said.

"Maybe the Blue Fairy told him about Regina, turned him against her. It wouldn't be difficult if he read the book." Snow shook her head; Regina deserved to be punished for what she did, but not like this. How much more did the woman have to suffer before her debt was settled?

"Well sitting around speculating isn't going to get us anywhere. Come on, I think I can pick up his trail."

"Bless you, Red," Emma muttered, feeling her affection swell for anyone who would rather take action than stand around talking. Red couldn't help laughing, having heard Emma's words loud and clear. Snow didn't bother asking for an explanation, having missed the comment entirely.

They followed Red to the back of the inn, where she pointed out Jamie's window. She'd already checked out the room and there was no sign of the book, but that didn't mean anything. She led them down several side streets that would likely have been deserted on even the busiest of days, pausing several times to crouch low and sniff. Emma thought it was rather undignified, but Red seemed unconcerned and Snow was likely accustomed to such odd behaviour. Jiminy, as usual, was so silent Emma nearly forgot he was there until Red looked right at him. "Can you fly ahead due East? Turn back when you're roughly due North of the graveyard and tell us if you see anything suspicious."

"I'll be as quick as possible," he assured them, and took off into the air, which was rapidly cooling as the last of the sunlight faded on the horizon behind them.

"You three keep tracking and head back to the apartment if you find anything, or if the trail goes cold. We're not going to get very far in the dark anyway."

"Wait, are you going somewhere?" Snow asked, worried.

"I'll meet you guys back at the apartment later tonight." She gave Snow a tight smile. "Don't worry about me."

"Easy to say and impossible to do," Snow replied, returning the smile. She put her hand on Emma's cheek and Emma tilted her head slightly, leaning into the comforting touch. She knew that Snow had some magical warmth in her touch, but there was more to it than plain magic this time. Refusing to allow herself more than a brief moment of indulgence, Emma turned her back on the two women and took off towards the setting sun.

* * *

Regina lay stretched out on the spare bed, one arm resting comfortably on her stomach and the other draped over her eyes. She was exhausted in every sense of the word. The honesty of James's admission had struck her hard and caught her off guard. It wasn't that she expected a denial or any such ridiculous lie, but for him to simply admit his hatred made Regina's stomach churn.

But why? What did it matter if James hated her? It wasn't exactly breaking news, nor was it unexpected or even unwarranted. He had every right to hate the Evil Queen. Somehow, though, his hatred stung much more than she had anticipated. The memory of his strong arm choking the breath from her lungs made Regina's breath hitch. It still felt like it had happened a lifetime ago, and yet it had been barely a week for those who hadn't been locked away in the fairy's prison. He would have killed her; she knew that now and she knew it then. If Snow hadn't intervened, hadn't used her calming touch to break through to him, Regina would most certainly have died in the forest that night.

'Well FUCK her,' Regina wanted to scream. 'Fuck her for always playing the hero, always pretending to forgive. She hasn't forgiven me. She can't forgive me anymore than I can forgive her. Oh sure, she _wants_ to, but she can't do it.' "Just quit trying," she muttered aloud. To Snow? To herself? She wasn't sure. It didn't matter. She was too tired to try untangling any of the threads between her and Snow.

"You look terribly weary."

Regina shot up on the bed, mental energy sharpened and focused, but there was no magic to summon. She growled in frustration and heard a laugh. Jumping up from the bed she ripped off the blanket that covered the standing, full length mirror and found herself face to face with the Blue Fairy. "It's about time you showed your face around here," Regina smirked.

"I don't mind admitting that your white knight threw a bit of a wrench into my plans. I may be ancient, but even I'm not infallible. Perhaps being able to admit your _own_ mistakes might have saved you a great deal of heartache." The Fairy spoke in the same soothing, ethereal voice she used when speaking to lost souls whose happy endings she intended to restore. It made Regina sick.

"You know nothing of my life, Fairy. Maybe if you did we wouldn't be here. Maybe if you'd cared about my _heartache_ we wouldn't be in this world at all."

"I also don't mind admitting," she continued, completely ignoring Regina's words, "that I owe you my gratitude." Regina raised an eyebrow questioningly, eyes narrowing slightly. What was the fairy trying to do? "Without you and your manipulation of those around you I wouldn't have gained my most valuable ally."

"I know Jefferson's working with you. Or for you. I don't care."

The fairy laughed. "Oh no, Regina. I wasn't talking about Jefferson, though he too has proven himself to be quite valuable. Loyal, too, when treated fairly. But I guess you never experienced that." Regina was genuinely confused now. Who else was there? Well if the fairy wasn't offering the name willingly Regina wasn't about to ask. Still, it was concerning. Was there another traitor among them? Dammit! "This method of communication is rather useful," the Blue Fairy said, looking around as if examining the inside of the mirror.

"So glad my genie could be of service. I assume you've arranged this private little chat for a reason?"

"Yes. I have something I'd like to discuss with you."

"The destruction of the Enchanted Forest? The betrayal of all of it's citizens? By all means, let us discuss. Insects first, I insist."

"You really think that's what I'm doing?" The fairy frowned, ignoring Regina's insult. "I should have known getting you to understand would be impossible. But it doesn't matter now. I have no interest in trying to explain myself to you." With a quick flourish of her hand she vanished, replaced by a hazy, unclear image which quickly solidified and focused.

Regina's breath caught; they were looking at Jamie, sleeping quite peacefully, stretched out on a tiny bed in one of the rooms at Granny's B&B - Regina recognized the wallpaper from her many rendez-vous there with Graham. She drank in the sight of him, which she had been denied earlier. He was no longer the young man she knew, fresh out of boyhood and eager to make a name for himself in the world. His hair was flecked with grey and even in sleep there were lines around his eyes. None of that mattered, though. Regina could see that his hair, while kept short and professional, was still just the tiniest bit longer that it should be, never fully tamed. She knew if he would just open his eyes she would see the deepest, brightest green, a colour still unrivaled by anyone else she had ever met. And she knew that the laugh she had heard earlier - the pure joy that poured from his lips - would still twist his face into that lopsided grin that made his eyes sparkle with an air of boyish glee.

"He has a beautiful soul, Regina," the Blue Fairy said quietly, her voice whispering out from the mirror even as she herself remained unseen. Regina nodded her agreement, unable to tear her eyes away from the image. She raised a hand to the glass, desperate to reach out and touch what she knew she couldn't. "It has been starved by the longing he still carries in his heart. Longing for you, and for a life you might have shared together. He had so much potential in his life for love, but he couldn't give up on you, and so his potential was never realized. Yes, he's successful at work, and he's had his share of lovers, but no true love. And to deny anyone true love..."

"I never meant for that to happen. Any of it. I knew he'd be hurt, but I thought when he left and couldn't come back he'd just...move on." Regina's eyes were filling with tears. She suddenly felt the need to justify her actions, to assuage her guilt, but she knew there was no justification for her selfishness.

"Had he known he couldn't come back he might very well have moved on with his life. But the nature of the barrier, and of this world, made him unaware of any such impediment. He assumed his inability to return stemmed from his own fear, and his curiosity and his concern only festered. And you know what, Regina? That's your fault. If you had just told Jamie it was over, that you never wanted to see him again, that you _couldn't_ love him, his life could have gone so differently."

"I won't let you make me feel guilty about this. It's not my fault." Regina didn't believe the words as she spoke them and the Blue Fairy knew it.

"You don't need me to make you feel guilty, Regina. You knew what a relationship would him would mean, how it would end, but you let him into your life anyway. Into your _bed_. But you couldn't let him into your heart." Regina pounded her fist angrily against the glass. "You can make things right. He doesn't have to keep suffering like this."

"Get to the point," Regina hissed.

"I have. I'm giving you a chance to do what you should have done years ago. Make things right." Regina shook her head in confusion, taking a step back from the glass. "Wouldn't you like your last act to be a noble one?"

The realization hit Regina far too late. She knew who the Blue Fairy had been talking about, who her 'ally' was: Sidney. Regina couldn't understand - it should have been impossible - but somehow Sidney and the fairy had found a way to untether him from Regina. Once bound to her magic, unable to support the magic of any other spellcaster, Sidney had found a way to channel the Blue Fairy's magic as he had once done for the Queen. She felt the crushing grip of magic tighten around her, crushing the air from her lungs. She reached out desperately and managed to grab hold of the edge of the mirror as she was pulled into it, but as her brain screamed for oxygen her strength quickly drained and she relinquished her grip as the world went dark.

**While I still can't say exactly how many chapters this fic is going to be, the end is now in sight. There's good news, though: I'm writing a new fic. This one will essentially be a re-write of season 1, but with one key difference: Regina doesn't remember her FTL past. To be fair to the readers who didn't get it this time around, this next fic will be SwanQueen. HOWEVER, I really hate when a ship takes over a story, so it will be done carefully and hopefully in the most believable way possible. For those readers who aren't shippers, I have no doubt you can still enjoy this new story, so I would urge you to at least give it a chance. I brought you this far, didn't I? ;-) And just in case anyone's still worried, I can guarantee I won't be including any explicit content (haha, sorry shippers). You can't please everybody, but I do hope fans of this fic will give my next one a chance, shipper or not.**


	51. Chapter 51

**Just so everyone is aware, I'm no longer using a Beta reader, so any mistakes are now solely my fault, lol.**  
** To 'A Reader': Your review made me chuckle. I most certainly do know how to limit myself when writing. In fact, I rather enjoy reading over a completed work and 'trimming the fat', so to speak. You seem to be forgetting 2 important points about this story:**  
**1) Each time a post a new chapter, the next one isn't even started yet. In fact, more often than not, I have NO IDEA what the next chapter is going to be about. I'm sure there's a great deal of 'fat' in this story, but I have no way of knowing what information might later become unnecessary or redundant - a lot of it comes from me trying to keep my options open, in order to have the most entertaining story possible. Actually, it's given me a great deal of respect for the writers of this show :) I see your 'challenge' and raise you one of my own: write a story without a plan for its future and share it with others **_**while its still in progress**_**.**  
**2) The purpose of this fic was to get me, and anyone who wants to read this, through the hiatus. Ideally that means the story would continue through the entire summer. Why on Earth would I edit and trim a story that's meant to carry on for months? If that's not the kind of story you're looking for, then sorry, but you've come to the wrong place. I do appreciate your review, though. It's comments like yours that make me wish I could share with you all a sample of my 'real' work.**

Chapter 51

"Having a bit of trouble, dearie?"

Regina turned, rage flooding her, and thrust her hand towards the grating voice. A wave of fire pulsed out from her palm but the infuriating little man simply waved it away, directing it harmlessly into the fireplace. The Queen had expected such action but she roared in frustration anyway. "Get out of my palace!"

"Now, now, is that any way to treat a guest?" Rumple smiled. As he stared up at the Queen - dressed in the colour of mourning, her long hair lavishly styled - and saw her breathing heavily and forcefully, he couldn't help being reminded of a toddler getting ready to throw a temper tantrum. It made him giggle. Regina screamed in rage, hands and eyes clenched tight, struggling against the crushing immensity of her hatred. She had suppressed the emotion for so long that it had buried its claws on her heart, squeezing and twisting it, burning and tearing it with agonizing slowness. Rumple had seen it happen a thousand times before to so many other desperate souls.

"What do you want?" Regina asked, finally regaining enough composure to form coherent words.

"To help you, of course."

"Of course," she drawled, a slow blinking of her eyes expressing the last of her frustration, ebbing rapidly as exhaustion set in.

"You want Snow White to die, but I think you should...shall we say...set your sights higher?" The Queen raised an eyebrow but remained silent. 'Good girl,' Rumple thought, unable to stop the swell of pride. "Killing her and collecting her heart will satisfy you for a moment, but only a moment. What you want, what you _need_, is to make her _suffer_."

"And I suppose you have a suggestion?" It wasn't really a question.

"Indeed. You need to take away her happy ending."

"Running through the forest hiding like a frightened rabbit isn't a happy ending, Rumple."

"Of course not, but you mark my words, _Your Majesty_, Snow White WILL have her happy ending, and sooner than you think." Regina felt another scream bubbling up in her chest at the injustice of it all. She pushed it back down, managing to keep her expression neutral. "Hardly seems fair," Rumple added, seeing easily behind her mask.

"Why do you care about Snow White's happy ending?"

"I don't," Rumple replied simply. Regina didn't believe him and he doubt was obvious in her expression. Rumple smiled, his eyes locked with her. "It's not Snow White's happy ending that matter to me." He drew his legs, which had so far been stretched out on the Queen's sofa, towards him so that he was sitting cross legged. Then he leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and said, "It's _yours_."

Regina failed to keep the shock fully out of her eyes, or her voice. "What are you saying?"

Rumple sighed, stretching out again. "I'm saying I can give you the happy ending you desire."

Regina laughed darkly. "No one can give me what I desire. Not even your underhanded spells can bring back the dead."

"Under..." Rumple frowned. "That hurt, your majesty." Regina rolled her eyes. "You're quite right, though; even true love cannot reverse death."

"Then it seems we have no further business to discuss. Good day, Rumplestiltskin."

"Ah ah ah, not so fast. Perhaps I cannot return your love, but I can give you the power to take away Snow White's."

"Snow White doesn't have a true love." Regina was growing weary of their rather circular conversation. What was the imp trying to do?

"Everyone has a true love, dearie. Snow just hasn't found hers yet. But she will. And when she does...well, I don't need to see the future to know how well you're going to react to _that_."

"Get to the point!" Regina shouted, wanting to throw the imp from her balcony but needing desperately to satisfy her curiosity.

"A curse, dear. What I'm offering you is a curse."

"I'm quite capable of making my own curses." It was true, but her quick dismissal was nothing more than an act. She knew how powerful the Dark One was and how powerful a curse created by him would undoubtedly be. Much more powerful than anything Regina could ever create, she lamented.

Rumple brushed aside her dismissal. "The Dark curse is much more than scribbles on a parchment. It has the power to rip apart not only Snow White's happiness, but the happiness of everyone who has ever dared defy you. You will become the unquestioned, unchallenged, all-powerful ruler of a kingdom of your very own design. In a new world."

"Why would I want to go to a new world?" Regina was still struggling to stay casual, to mask her interest for the sake of the deal, but Rumple could see the hunger in her eyes.

"In a new land, you can recreate the lives of those you take with you. The curse will shape them according to your desires. And you can create a new life for yourself. One in which you are the supreme ruler - no more petty squabbles between kingdoms over land or gold. The curse will provide you with everything you need to thrive."

"And I suppose this...Dark Curse...comes with a hefty price."

'Ah, dear child, trying so hard. Had life taken different turns I might have taught you to overcome that fatal flaw; it will be your undoing someday. Always ask the price _before _your hunger overrides your good sense.' "Indeed," was all he said aloud.

"I'm listening."

'Yes, raptly.' "It's a small thing, really, when compared to the opportunity I'm offering."

"Spit it out," Regina said impatiently.

'Careful, dear, your watering mouth is about overflow.' Rumple leaned forward again, breaking into a grin. "Your first born child."

* * *

"Rumplestiltskin! RUMPLESTILTSKIN! Get out here, you son of a bitch; I know you can hear me."

"Such a delightful summons. How could I resist?" Emma whirled, nearly falling backwards when she found Rumple standing much closer than she'd anticipated. He watched her graceless stumbling with an air of amusement.

Emma cursed loudly, regaining her balance. "Your immaturity is almost impressive. Henry doesn't even pull that kinda crap."

"Henry can't teleport," Rumple pointed out. For that Emma had no reply; he had a good point. "Something I can help you with?"

"You can do what you should have been doing all along: helping me find the Blue Fairy. I don't buy that you're powerless against her. You want my help finding your son? You better start holding up your end of the bargain."

"Something has changed," Rumple said, eyes narrowing.

"Regina's missing. So is Jamie. And Henry's book is gone, too." Emma didn't bother holding anything back; this wasn't the time for some macho stand-off between her and Rumple and it certainly wasn't the time for caution. She needed his help, plain and simple, and she wasn't leaving until she got it.

A short "ah" was his only reply.

"I have to find her before the Blue Fairy does something horrible to her. Henry...can't lose her again."

"The boy cares a great deal for her," Rumple observed, his tone casual as though he were talking about the weather.

"She's his mother."

"Sort of."

"She raised him. That counts..."

"For more than simply giving birth to him. Is that what you were going to say?"

"...Yeah."

Rumple nodded, lips pursed slightly. "Well then perhaps this is for the best. He's going to lose her eventually anyway."

Emma's eyes widened. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Well I can't imagine you're going to let the Evil Queen share a quaint little Boston apartment with you and the lad when this is all over."

Emma shook her head. "Stop it. Just stop it. I'm tired of you screwing with everyone just to amuse yourself. Either help me find her or you can forget about me ever helping you."

"Actually, dear, if you'll recall, our deal was that I would send you to rescue Regina if you would help me find my son. On this particular issue, _you_ are in _my_ debt. I agreed to help you bring the fairy to justice if you would agree not to imprison me. As per your specifications that I not harm anyone, our deal became void when I attempted to strangle Regina. So whatever it is you think I owe, I'm afraid you're quite mistaken." Emma shook her head, mouth slightly open. Rumple cleared his throat dramatically and repeated Emma's long-forgotten words. "If you are ever responsible, directly or indirectly, for any harm that comes to this down or the people in it, our deal is void."

"But that...that's not..."  
"That was the deal, miss Swan. I harmed Regina - quite directly, I might add - and so our deal is void."

"Then you're under arrest."

Rumple smiled. "Well spoken. But I'm afraid you'll need quite a bit more than bravado to put me back into a cell."

"I don't believe it. After everything she's done, you're just going to let her get away with it?"

"I have important...business...to attend to."

Emma shook her head. "Regina was right. You _are_ a coward."

Emma turned her back on Rumple to walk away, but she heard him clear his throat loudly and turned back to face him. His expression was dark. "Do NOT. Call me. A coward."

"Prove me wrong and I'll take it back."

"Do you really think I can be so easily manipulated?" Now the anger was creeping into his voice.

Emma shrugged. "You tell me," and she walked away.


	52. Chapter 52

Chapter 52

"He wanted _what_?"

"My first born child."

"You didn't accept the deal, did you?!" Regina couldn't see Jamie in the dark but his eyes were wide with incredulity.

Regina sighed. "Why do you care about all of this?"

"Why do I care that you might have offered your first born child to a monster? Gee, I wonder."

"You sound like you actually believe what I'm saying." Regina was growing more and more frustrated that she couldn't see Jamie's expression.

Jamie smiled, then quickly remembered it was pointless and felt his own frustration rising. He leaned forward and managed to plant a kiss on her shoulder. "I can't explain it but maybe...maybe belief is just easier than denial sometimes. So...tell me how you masterminded your way out of giving Rumplestiltskin your first born."

Regina smiled faintly. "I didn't have to. I knew there was no 'first born' in my future."

"You _agreed_?" Jamie groaned.

"I can't have children, Jamie." There was a long pause. _What is he thinking? Why do I even care? Turn on a fucking light already!_

Jamie wasn't sure what to make of this admission and decided to simply let it pass for the time being. "I don't get it. I thought you said Rumplestiltskin could see the future. How could he not know that you would never have a child?"

Regina laughed dryly. "It was too good to pass up: the Dark Curse, absolutely free. No price to pay." She scoffed and practically spit the words, "All magic comes with a price."

"Confused expression."

They both laughed, though Regina couldn't summon up much genuine amusement. "I knew something about Rumple that few others know: he can only see the future of those he's never met. I also understood that his ability was far from perfect. Everyone thought soothsaying was such a wonderful gift, that it could make you essentially omniscient, but I knew better. Every day we make hundreds, if not thousand of decisions, and we are influenced by the decisions of others. A being as powerful as Rumplestiltskin could navigate those decisions with a great deal of skill, but someone becoming the victim of the intricate planning of another is nearly impossible to predict. Since Rumple and I met when I was a child, I knew he wouldn't have been able to predict back then my mother's scheming to have me marry the king, or any of the consequences that followed, so I was confident he didn't really know what the future had in store."

"Seems like a big gamble, though, offering you the Dark Curse for something that may never come to pass."

"At the time I assumed - though I didn't want to admit it, even to myself - that he knew of my desire for children." Regina's voice was quiet, but of course her words were crystal clear in the silence that surrounded them. Rumplestiltskin was the only person who ever knew - or at least suspected - the Regina desperately wanted children; it wasn't something she was ready to admit to anyone else, but there was no way around it now. "You see, the reason he was so skilled as a soothsayer was because he was so accomplished at reading people. He could predict their movements far in advance even without his ability. I assumed he expected me to one day make the decision to have a child, and the opportunity was too tempting to pass up."

"And now? What do you think he really wanted?"

"He wanted to ease my suspicion. What I didn't understand at the time was that he was incapable of casting the curse himself. He needed me to do it, and _that_ was his true motive. However, had he offered me the curse for free I would never have agreed to cast it, and he knew that. He needed to ask for something that would _seem_ to be of equal value to the Dark Curse, but without actually being too valuable for me to sacrifice; a child was the perfect solution. I couldn't resist getting something so valuable for free and he knew it. By the time I realized he couldn't cast the curse himself...it was too late."

"Too late?" Jamie shifted slightly to a more comfortable position, having barely noticed that his leg was falling asleep until it became quite painful.

"I had already...committed...to casting the curse. I..." Regina shifted, too, but for a very different reason. Confessing her mistakes to Jamie was harder than she imagined. _Maybe this is what you need. Surely this will drive him away._ "I vowed to destroy Snow White's happiness, destroy everyone's happiness. The Dark Curse was the only way to do that."

"Why couldn't Rumple cast it himself?" Regina stared in Jamie's direction. If she could see him she would have been carefully scrutinizing him. He wanted to know about Rumple and the curse? Didn't he care what she had just said, what she'd just confessed? Wasn't he disgusted by her selfishness, by her willingness to make a massive, horrible, irreversible mistake just to avoid looking foolish? "Worried expression. Are you alright?"

"Rumple couldn't cast the curse because..." _Go on, say it. Tell him what you sacrificed to come here. Tell him just how much your loved ones really matter to you. Go on._ "The last requirement of the Dark Curse...was a heart."

"A heart...?" Regina could actually hear Jamie swallow. She felt her stomach twist into knots. "And, what, you knew where to get one but Rumple didn't?"

Regina shook her head, remembered he couldn't see her, and said, in a very small voice, "No. The heart had to come from something...someone..."

"Some_one_?"

Regina felt her breath quicken slightly. Suddenly she felt like an animal in a trap, faced with the need to chew off her own foot. This was it: the last straw. Jamie would never understand, would never forgive her for this. She could feel it on her hands, the warm, thick blood coating them and the urge to scrub her hands raw became overwhelming. She twisted against her bonds, feeling hot tears stinging the backs of her eyes. "I needed a heart," she continued, breath ragged, "from the thing I loved most."

"I don't understand," Jamie said breathlessly.

"My father. The last person in the world who truly cared for me, who truly loved me no matter what I did, no matter what I became." Regina was sobbing in earnest now. "I pushed my hand into his chest, just like _her_, just like _she_ did when she ruined everything. Except I was worse than her because I loved Daddy and it didn't matter. I ripped out his heart and tossed it in the fire and it didn't matter, because I made so many mistakes to get here that I didn't even know what casting the curse would mean. I didn't know what he really wanted, or about Emma, or Henry..." Regina knew she was rambling, knew Jamie could no longer follow her words, but she only stopped when she was sobbing too heavily to continue.

"Do you see now, Jamie? Do you see the monster behind the beautiful mask?" Regina wanted desperately to cover her ears, to drown out the voice of the infernal fairy. Instead she heard, very clearly even over her sobs, the sound of Jamie letting out a heavy breath as he clumsily shuffled away from her in the darkness.

* * *

"Can we summon him without Regina?" Emma asked.

"Maybe, but I have no idea how." Snow shook her head.

"No one else can summon the genie except Mom," Henry insisted.

"Does he even know what's going on?" August wondered.

"If he's focused on searching he might not know, but I have a hard time believing it. I hate to say it, but he might be enjoying his freedom." Emma looked at James, brow furrowed. He shrugged. "If Regina _is_ with the Blue Fairy, which seems pretty likely at this point, she's probably...being kept somewhere," James chose his words carefully in front of Henry, "without a mirror nearby. If she can't summon Sidney and none of us have the power, he might have just gone off to enjoy his freedom from her."

August shook his head. "No, he wants _real_ freedom; he doesn't want to be trapped in mirrors anymore. Either he's still searching and he just doesn't know - or doesn't care - what's happened, or he's found someone who can offer him a better deal."

"Either way we can't count on him," Snow said with a sigh.

"So we're just back to square one?" Emma threw up her hands in frustration.

"Jamie's trail goes cold in the middle of the street, like he just vanished," Red said, shaking her head.

"I'm sure Reul Ghorm knows how to fool a werewolf. She could have easily used magic to carry him wherever she wanted." Jiminy came to rest on the counter so his voice would better carry to everyone. Henry was a little disappointed; he liked having the cricket on his shoulder.

"Indeed."

Everyone spun, trying to locate the source of the voice. "The mirror," Henry hissed, and Emma hurried over to the dining room mirror, yanking off the towel that had been covering it. 'Shouldn't we have uncovered these when we started working with Sidney?'

Sure enough, instead of her own reflection Emma found herself looking at the Blue Fairy. "Well at least that solves the Sidney mystery," Emma said, tossing the towel aside. "What did she offer you to make you turn on the whole town?"

"You just don't understand her vision," Sidney's disjointed voice said. Emma almost laughed; even through the mirror, without seeing his face, she knew Sidney was being untruthful.

"I know she offered you something, Sidney. What could possibly be more valuable than freedom?"

"I fully intend to give Sidney his freedom when this is all over," the Blue Fairy cut in, though Emma distinctly heard Sidney's attempted reply before he was cut off. Was she hiding something? "Emma, please listen. You're standing in the way of a plan that has been in motion for centuries. You are disrupting the natural order of the world."

Emma sputtered a laugh. "Natural order? What's natural about destroying an entire world, leaving all of its citizens stranded and homeless?"

"This is their home now. If it weren't for you and Rumplestiltskin's scheming, they never would have regained their memories of their former lives. They would have been free from the curse, to join this world and seek their happy endings _here_."

"While you reign supreme as the ultimate power, the only one with magic."

"I would have restored my magic, yes, but only to distribute it carefully into the world over many generations."

Emma glanced back at the crowd behind her, unsure how to continue. What the fairy said made no sense, and yet it was true. Snow gave her a tiny, encouraging nod and Emma turned back to the mirror. "You're so eager for us to understand, for us to be on your side; go on, then. Explain yourself."

The fairy smiled, a hint of exasperation in her expression as though she were explaining to a child, yet again, why she had to eat her vegetables. "This is how it has been done for longer than I have been alive. It is the role of the fey."

"How _what_ has been done? Destroying worlds?"

"Yes."

Everyone froze, expressions ranging from confusion to disbelief to utter shock. Emma sputtered a laughed. "You can't be serious. The fairies' job is to _destroy worlds_?"

"Not exactly. It is our job to preserve magic. You see, magic puts a great deal of strain on the world. It drains the land of its energy. The longer magic exists in a world, the weaker it becomes, until it can no longer sustain life. When we sense the magic rippling, tearing at the fabric around us, we put a plan in motion to take us all to a new land. There we give citizens new lives and new identities, and we begin the process of slowly releasing magic into the new world. It has to be done carefully and over the course of many generations, to minimize the shock magic can bring to a world unaccustomed to such power."

"You masterminded the Dark Curse?" Emma said, eyebrow raised.

The fairy sighed. "I'm afraid...I was remiss in my duties. I did not see the signs that our world was weakening until it was much too late for the traditional methods. When Rumplestiltskin unwittingly presented me the opportunity to come here, I had no choice but to take it. We were running out of time."

"That was centuries ago!" Henry exclaimed.

"Yes, child, but exchanging one world for another is a complicated process and I was essentially improvising. I admit I...made some mistakes."

August snorted. "I'll say."

"If all this is true, why hide? Why not explain all this sooner so we could figure out a solution together?" Snow asked, approaching the mirror.

"We're not figure anything out together," Emma said darkly.

"Emma..."

"No! Don't you care what she did to Regina? She _tortured_ her!" David put his hands on Henry's shoulders, but Henry pulled away to stand next to Emma. No one had actually told him what Regina endured during her absence, but by listening carefully he was able to discern that it had been bad. Now he understood that it was far worse than he realized, and he was furious.

"Regina deserves to spend the rest of her days in that prison," the Blue Fairy said, all of the ethereal warmth gone from her voice.

"What have you done with her?" Emma shouted, banging her fist against the glass.

"Emma, stop it! This isn't going to get us anywhere. This stand-off needs to end." Snow put a hand on Emma's shoulder but Emma shrugged it away harshly, having no desire for Snow's calming touch.

"Here's what I'm offering: for those who wish it, I will grant new memories that will allow them to move freely in the world. Those who wish to retain their identities may do so, but if they leave Storybrooke they must leave their magic behind. Anyone unwilling to sacrifice their magic must remain here."

"And Regina?" Emma had both hands planted on the edges of the mirror.

"Regina's fate is non-negotiable."

"Let my mom go!" Henry shouted.

"Child," the fairy said, her voice softening, "your mother is the woman standing next to you. She has a good heart and a strong spirit, and she has the potential to be a great leader. She will be an excellent mother to you." Emma's heart froze in her chest and slow agonizingly as she awaited Henry's reply.

"Emma isn't a replacement parent, or the next best thing to a mom. _Regina_ is my mom just as much as Emma and I want her BACK!" Henry kicked the mirror hard, forcing Emma to grab hold of it quickly to keep it from falling. She couldn't help the immensity of her pride.

"And right after we get her back, we're bringing you to justice. You can't just screw everyone over and expect to get away with it just because you're agreeing to let us out of our prison," Emma said fiercely.

The Blue Fairy gave a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry you feel that way. Perhaps...I can change your mind."

The glass darkened until it became completely black, hiding the fairy from sight. Everyone backed away, but as Emma felt a vise-like grip around her torso she knew there would be no escaping. "Emma!" she heard several people scream. Hands closed around her wrists and forearms, but it was no use. The crushing force was making her disoriented from pain and lack of oxygen, and before she even had time to fully register what was about to happen, she was slipping helplessly into the darkness.


	53. Chapter 53

Chapter 53

"Jamie? Jamie, answer me. I don't care how upset you are, if you're ignoring me I swear to the gods I'll-" Regina's threat was cut off as she heard a low groan.

"Regina? Is that you?"  
"Sheriff Swan?" Regina said, baffled. What was _she_ doing here?

"Really? Even as a fellow prisoner I can't get a first name?" Regina heard Emma slide into a sitting position. "Where are we, anyway?"

"I have no idea. Sidney somehow found a way to free himself from his obligation to me. He channeled the fairy's magic to drag me down here. Gave me a nice blow to the head along the way, though I'm not sure which one of them actually had the honour." Emma could practically hear Regina's eyes rolling.

"Yeah, she pulled that stunt on me, too. I just hope Snow has the good sense to warn everyone about Sidney now that we know he can't be trusted."

"I don't understand why she brought you here. She has no vendetta against you."

"I stood up to her. Maybe her ego couldn't handle that."

"Perhaps..." Regina wasn't buying it.

"Is Jamie down here with you?" There was a long silence. "I'm sorry," Emma said, mistakenly attributing Regina's silence to confusion and worry. "He went missing around the same time you did. We assumed he was with you, wherever you were, but we couldn't be sure."

"He was here," Regina said quietly.

Emma paused, choosing her words carefully. It was a lot harder being sensitive when she couldn't see Regina's expression. Her brief words weren't enough to let Emma fully interpret her tone of voice. "Is he...okay?"

"I don't know." Emma could hear it now; the thick, forcefully controlled sound of a proud woman fighting back her tears. "He was here for a while and then...he vanished."

"Just like that?"

"I...yes. Just like that."

Clearly there was more to the story, but it wasn't the time to press for details. "How long ago was this?"

"At least an hour before your arrival, but it could have been as many as three. It's difficult to keep track."

Emma nodded her understanding, forgetting that it was a useless gesture. "Are, uh..." _God, this shouldn't be so damn difficult_. "Are you okay?"

To Emma's surprise, Regina burst out laughing. It started out as a slow chuckled but quickly grew into loud, howling laughter, which continued for so long that Emma started to wonder exactly what kind of torture Regina had already been through, and just how deeply it had affected her sanity. "Oh yeah," Regina choked out, struggling to regain composure. "Yes, _Emma_," she chuckled, "I'm excellent. Fan-fucking-tastic." More laughter rendered her once again speechless.

When Emma at last heard Regina's breathing return somewhat to normal, breath still hitching with the occasional chortle, she said, "Well that was interesting."

"In the last week I've seen my hard work turn to dust, nearly lost my son, reunited with him only to be nearly killed in a fire, lost my magic twice, spent the equivalent of three years in a magical hell, been betrayed by my servant, sucked through a mirror and knocked unconscious, chucked into a lightless basement, reunited with a man I've spent twenty-eight years trying to forget, confessed my sins to him, spent hours wondering whether he was alive or dead, and now, _now_, I have to spend gods know how long in this hell-hole with the second last person I'd ever want to be locked up with. Oh yeah, I'm fantastic."

"I meant are you _injured_," Emma muttered, rolling her eyes. Regina bust into a fit of giggles and this time Emma couldn't help her own snort of laughter at the ridiculousness of hearing the mayor - the Evil Queen who cursed all of Storybrooke - _giggle_. "Only the second last person?" she asked when they'd both calmed down again.

"I'm afraid your mother will forever have the honour of being the first."

"Maybe if you'd stop thinking of it as 'forever', things could start to change."

Regina gave an exasperated sigh. "Do you really think this is the time or the place to discuss something that, in the the first place, is none of your business?"

Emma shrugged. "I dunno about time, but this definitely seems like the place. I doubt there's much you can do to me in the dark." Emma heard a sudden scuffling sound, as though something had startled Regina. "What happened?" she asked, heart hammering.

"Emma!" Regina said breathlessly.

"What?! Geez, Regina, don't scare me like that."

"Emma, my magic!"

Emma rolled her eyes. "How many time do I have to tell you, I did not _steal_ your magic. I am impressed that you keep getting my name right, though."

Regina gave a frustrated growl. "You. Have. Magic!"

"Oh!" Emma hated feeling so clueless, but she couldn't help it; possessing magic was not something Emma was accustomed to, and actually using it was even more bizarre. Regina also felt a bit foolish for having forgotten something so important, but at least she had the excuse of extreme duress.

"Well, hurry up. Get us out of here." Emma closed her eyes and pulled the magic inwards, focusing it as Regina had taught her. When she could feel the tension rising to just the right intensity, she let it loose and felt it spread out rapidly like a spring under pressure. When she opened her eyes she expected to see Snow's apartment, but saw nothing. "What's taking you so long?"

"It's not working. I tried teleporting us out but nothing happened."

"Are you sure you did it right?" Regina asked dryly.

"Don't start. I've done it enough before to know how. It's not working."

Regina sighed. "I was afraid of that. She put a magical shield on the room."

_Even knowing there's a shield she couldn't resist blaming me first. Typical._ "Great. Now what do we do?"

"_You're_ the saviour. Shouldn't I be asking you that question?"

"It's _your_ magic. This is your area of expertise." Emma heard a slight thud and assumed Regina had collapsed onto her back.

Her suspicions were confirmed when she heard Regina's voice coming from a slightly lower position now. "This is perfect. Just perfect."

"The Blue Fairy offered to let everyone leave Storybrooke."

"Not everyone, surely."

"Well, no. Everyone who was willing to give up their magic." Emma felt a strange swell of emotions rising in her gut and it took her a moment to untangle and identify them. She wanted Regina's _approval_. She wanted desperately for someone to validate the decision she'd made to defy the fairy. She wanted someone to assure her that bringing the fairy to justice once and for all was the only option. But what comfort could Regina possibly offer? What did it matter to Emma if Regina approved, with such an obvious bias?

"So...what? You refused to give up your newfound power?" Emma's brow furrowed. Did Regina really expect her to be so easily corrupted? She got her answer before she could even finish thinking the question. "I don't believe that for a second, not when you can't remember you have it most of the time. Obviously you defied her or you wouldn't be here."

"I'm not making any deal with the Fairy. She belongs in prison and that's where she's going to end up, if I have to spend the rest of my life in Storybrooke hunting her down."

"I still don't understand why she brought you here. Surely capturing you will only incite the citizens to further outrage against her, making them even less cooperative."

"I dunno about that. They're pretty unhappy with our pro Evil Queen stance at the moment."

"Hm," was all Regina offered in response.

"She said you weren't part of the deal. That your fate was non-negotiable."

"That hardly surprises me, Sher...Emma."

"What did you do to her?"

"I told you, I've never done anything to that insect."

"You must have done _something_. What she's done to you, what she's _doing_, it's too much to just be about the curse. This is personal."

"Well then I suppose congratulations are in order."

Emma raised an eyebrow. When Regina of course didn't respond she said "Congratulations?"

"Yes. Seems I've finally achieved a level of evil so great that I don't even remember screwing someone over enough to make them want to torture me." Emma heard the unmistakable sound of Regina slowly clapping.

"Oh good, a pity party. And here I was worried this would get awkward."

"If you would just keep your mouth shut this wouldn't have to be so unpleasant."

"What happened between you and Jamie?"

"No no, it was just a suggestion. Feel free to disregard it and by all means, make our situation even _more_ unpleasant." Regina closed her eyes and firmly massaged her temples.

"This whole thing sucks anyway. I might as well get something useful out of it." Emma pulled her legs in to cross them tightly, resting her elbows on her knees.

"I don't know why you insist on revisiting this. I told you, Jamie is just a man I used to know a long time ago."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Give it a rest. I've seen the way you two look at each other. You're obviously in love with each other. Why can't you just admit that?"

"Because it's _not true_."

"Well maybe you should tell your eyes that 'cause they go all doe-y when you talk about him."

"Believe what you want," Regina spat, anger rising.

"Gimme a break! What is it about being in love that you're so ashamed of? D'you think it makes you weak, is that it? It makes you soft so you don't want to give into it?"

Emma heard Regina shift positions and when she spoke again Emma could feel Regina's breath on her face. "Why can't you just let it go? Why do I have to spell it out for you?"

"Because you deserve to be happy!"

There was a long, heavy silence. Regina didn't move and both women could feel the other's breath, warming their skin in the chilly air of their prison. Emma was the first to break the silence. "You've paid your debt tenfold. You deserve to be happy. Why can't you just accept that?"

"Why," Regina whispered, her voice trembling. Emma could feel a slight increase in moisture from Regina's breath just before she pulled away, no doubt from threatening tears. "Why," she repeated. "Can't you. Understand."

"Understand _what_?!" Emma knew Regina's body was probably trembling as much as her voice, but she couldn't let it go now that they'd come so far.

"_Daniel_ was my true love. He's dead." Her voice, even as it shook, was coldly devoid of emotion and it made Emma shudder involuntarily.

"Regina...he would never want you to suffer for him. He'd want you to be happy. You have to let him go, move on."

Regina let out a scream of frustration so violent it made Emma jump and scurry back from her. "SHUT UP! STOP SAYING IT, STOP SAYING IT! My true love is DEAD and there's no bringing it back!" She let out several loud sobs before she gained control of them again. "You can't just _choose_ to find true love! My true love is gone, it's over, there's no getting it back! I can never give my heart to Jamie because there's NOTHING LEFT TO GIVE!"

With that Regina collapsed into gut-wrenching sobs. The depth of her sorrow, so clear in her voice, made Emma's eyes burn with her own tears. Still, she didn't understand. Did Regina think she was incapable of love? Surely she was capable of loving someone - just look at Henry. Granted, maternal love was different, but she was capable of profound love nonetheless. So what was it about Jamie - and Daniel - that made her so convinced she didn't and couldn't love someone?

"It doesn't matter, Emma." Regina's sobbing, though she was unable to stop it completely, quieted suddenly. Emma froze, straining her ears to hear the voice again. "You cannot understand Regina's pain because you are not of her world. You were never governed by the laws of our land and so you do not understand them. And Regina may be free from those laws but she is no more able to understand that than you are."

"What are you talking about?" Emma asked. This hadn't exactly been number one on her list of things to discuss with the Blue Fairy when they next met, but in that moment it was all she cared about, all she could think about.

"Regina, you are the victim of tragic irony." Now Regina was silent, listening intently. "You enacted the curse to destroy everyone's happiness, thinking your own could never flourish again. What you failed to realize is that coming to a new world was the one thing that could have restored your happiness, had you allowed it, had you known what a life here could offer. You threw away your opportunity because of ignorance, just as ignorance led you here to begin with, along with your foolish pride."

"What are you saying?" Emma demanded. She suspected - quite correctly - that Regina was incapable of speech in that moment.

The fairy laughed. "In the Enchanted Forest, love was governed by a very crucial, very unbreakable law: you only have one true love, and when that love is lost, it can never be restored or replaced. But here in your world, no such law exists. True love is murkier, less defined, more difficult to hold on to, but no less powerful. And more importantly, it is infinite. One always has the opportunity to find new love when theirs is lost. As a citizen of this world, Regina is now governed by _its_ laws."

"She can fall in love with Jamie. True love. Even with Daniel gone."

"Well, she might have. If she hadn't driven him away. And if she weren't fated to die here."

"You can't do this! Regina doesn't deserve this kind of torture!"

"You, Emma Swan, are free to leave at any time, on the condition that you carry to the citizens of Storybrooke the message that I will exchange their freedom for mine. I...apologize for the inconvenience this has caused you. I didn't...intend for you to come here."

"But now that I'm here you'll take advantage of it, right?"

"I'm afraid I cannot let you leave while you still intend to defy me. Now that your magic has breached my sanctuary you will be able to breach my security at any time, and I cannot afford such a thing. You will receive your freedom only in exchange for mine."

"Well then forget it. I'll rot in her before I let you go free."

"So be it," the fairy sighed, and silence fell once again. Even Regina was eerily quiet.

"Regina?" Emma called. When she heard no reply she reached out in the dark, cursing herself for having stumbled so far away from her. "Regina? Answer me. Please, just answer me." Emma struggled to hold back her sobs as childhood fears of loss and abandonment resurfaced. Memories of older kids trying to scare her with ghost stories and tales of monsters hiding in the dark had instilled in Emma a lifelong fear of the dark, one she could somewhat overcome when in the presence of someone who could distract her. 'There's still someone here,' she reminded herself. 'She's here. She's fine. She's just in shock. Give her a minute.' But as Emma continued calling out for Regina, searching frantically with her outstretched hand, she couldn't help the rising panic or the hot tears that began to slide down her cheeks.

**Since this is a bit of a trivial point and I don't feel like restructuring the story just to explain it, let's all just agree that the Blue Fairy released Regina's bonds after Jamie 'vanished', and never bothered to tie up Emma.**


	54. Chapter 54

Chapter 54

**EvilRegal - I love your enthusiasm xD Rest assured I am a die-hard evil regal myself and I always have plenty of exciting ideas brewing for Regina.**

"It's okay, Snow. We'll find her just like we found each other. We won't stop until we do." James had his arm wrapped tightly around a sobbing Snow, feeling his own tears burning tracks in his skin.

"I can't take this anymore," August growled. "We're just sitting ducks here! What the hell are we supposed to do when our opponent can use magic and we can't? How are we supposed to go up against someone more powerful than any of us?"

"Not _all_ of us," Henry said, wriggling out from where he was squeezed between Snow and James. Tears were still drying on his cheeks but his jaw was set and his expression was grim and determined.

"Henry, Emma already tried talking to Rumplestiltskin. He doesn't want to help us."

"Then we'll make him want to help us!" Henry asserted, actually stomping his foot. He suspected he was getting a little too old for such behaviour but no one seemed to care.

"It's not that simple, Henry. We can't simply force him to do what we want," Jiminy said, landing softly on Henry's shoulder.

"Rumplestiltskin, if you don't get over here right now I'm throwing my book into the fire!" Henry shouted. Everyone looked down at him, confused and more than a little concerned.

But before anyone could decide what to say, Rumple suddenly appeared in their midst, making everyone jump. "You know, boy, you're the last person I expect might actually follow through on that threat. Really, that was a bit melodramatic, don't you think?"

"Worked, didn't it?" Henry said with a smirk.

"Indeed." Rumple couldn't help his own smile. He could achieve great things with this boy...

"We need your help to defeat the Blue Fairy."

Now Rumple looked around at all of the stunned faces, as though he had only just noticed them. "Yes, your mother told me as much."

"Emma's gone. The fairy took her."

"Really?" Rumple's eyes became slightly unfocused.

"Why won't you help us?" Henry asked, tired and impatient.

Rumple gave his head a sharp shake, then smiled down at the boy. "Whatever gave you the idea that I wouldn't help? I have no interest in remaining a prisoner in this town any more than you."

"But...you told Emma..."

Rumple raised his eyebrows slightly, making his eyes round with feigned innocence. "I would never refuse to aid Miss Swan in her desperation."

August snorted in disbelief. Henry looked back at him. "Emma told us you refused to help her. Forgive me for taking her word over yours."

"My exact words to Miss Swan were that I had important business to attend to. Business concluded, I am now free to aid in what will undoubtedly be your final assault on the cursed fairy. We shall begin," he held up his arm as though looking at his watch, despite the fact that he wasn't wearing one, "in three...two...one..." He pointed to a spot just behind Henry and with a warm burst of blue light there appeared Emma, on her knees with Regina's still form in her arms.

* * *

"Regina?" _Don't cry. Don't cry, not here._

"It can't be true," Emma heard a faint voice say and nearly collapsed. She was still trembling but thankfully managed to swallow her sobs.

"It's not over, Regina. When we get out of here I promise you I'll find him." Emma's voice sounded slightly shaky to her ears, but it was much steadier than she'd expected. She settled back into a sitting position, feeling drained.

"It doesn't matter now. He'll never accept what I've done. Who I am."

"You're not that person anymore."

"Even _you_ don't believe that," Regina spat.

"He has a lot to process. He just found out you're a cartoon character; give the man some time. When we find him you can explain everything and...start fresh." Emma was struggling now to offer comforting words. What she really wanted to do was shake Regina out of her depression and get the hell out of there.

"_Cartoon character_?"

Emma let out a snort of laughter. "Come on, you've seen the Disney movie. It's an impressive likeness, no?"

"What a load of bullshit," Regina muttered.

"So you didn't spend your days in your palace, listening to your magic mirror tell you you're the 'fairest in all the land'?" Emma smiled.

"He was still a man when he said that to me, actually."

"Sidney?"

"The genie, yes. He confessed his admiration for me by giving me a mirror as a gift. Apprently magic lamps really appreciate irony."

"And the apple?" Emma couldn't help her curiosity. She suddenly understood why Henry was so captivated by his book; knowing the stories were true made comparing them to old folklore absolutely fascinating.

"You really want to sit here comparing my life to a cartoon you probably haven't seen in twenty years?"

"I watched it a couple days ago, actually."

Regina paused, probably to roll her eyes or shake her head. Or both. _Would it kill her to turn on a fucking light_? Before the thought was even fully formed, their prison was suddenly illuminated. Emma had to squint slightly, her eyes having grown accustomed to the darkness, but she could see that the walls themselves seemed to be emitting a soft amber glow. She looked at Regina, who was now propped up on her elbows looking stunned. "Did you do that?"

"How could I? You told me magic doesn't work here." She looked around and saw, to her disappointment, that they were in a sort of stone cellar. There were no windows, and no door except for a trap door in the ceiling, too high for them to reach even if they boosted each other up. There were a few wooden boxes stacked in the corner but Emma could tell just by looking that they weren't sturdy enough to hold any real weight. She stood up, hoping to find some weakness in the walls or something useful in the boxes, but as she stood the light vanished and they were plunged once more into darkness.

"I know how to get us out of here," Regina said cautiously, as if speaking the words too quickly or too harshly might render them untrue.

"How?" Emma demanded, squatting down to rest on her haunches.

"The magic you just used. It's sea magic."

"You're gonna have to explain that one a little further."

"I stole it from a merman years ago. Sea magic was uncommon in the Enchanted Forest, possessed only by sea witches and a handful of merpeople. It was viciously guarded - I won't bore you with the details of how I obtained it."

"Couldn't resist having power no one else had, huh?"

"It wasn't about novelty, Emma. Think about it: why learn to defend yourself against something you assume you'll never encounter? Learning sea magic was a security measure, a way of ensuring that even in the most dire circumstance I would still have something to fall back on. But of course obtaining the magic and learning to wield it were two very different things, and I had no teacher to guide me. It took me nearly a year to perform even the simplest act of magic, and I never developed it very far before abandoning the practice in favour of greater strength."

"But it can be used to get us out of here?"

"Yes. One thing I forced myself to learn was teleportation, for circumstances just like these."

"Great! Walk me through it."

"It's...not that easy."

"I can handle it," she said through gritted teeth.

"It wasn't a criticism of your ability." _Well alert the media_. "I told you, even learning the simplest spell took me nearly a year. Not only that, but I haven't used sea magic in so long I doubt I could explain the process. Even if I could, magic here is so different from home that I can't possibly predict how this type of magic may have been affected."

"Okay, now we're heading backwards. Can we get out of here or not?"

"Yes, but only if my magic is returned to me."

Emma gave a loud huff, almost impressed at her improvisational skills. "You really can't handle someone else having your power, can you?"

"Emma, please, listen to me. I _can _get us out of here."

"You just said you haven't used the magic in ages, and you don't know what to expect from it here. What if it doesn't work?"

"Fine. I _might_ not be able to make it work. But you _definitely_ won't be able to do it and I refuse to pretend otherwise."

"Even if I wanted to I can't give you back your magic. Rumplestiltskin had to help us last time, remember?"

"He had to help us because you only wanted to give back _some_ magic, not all of it. You needed him to separate the two. But you can relinquish the magic to me on your own."

_Ah, and there's the catch I've been waiting for. _"All of the magic, including what was mine to begin with."

Emma heard the sound of movement, and she jumped when she felt something touch her leg. "Sorry," came Regina's muttered apology, but her hands continued to explore.

"Uh...I know we have a tendency to push the boundaries of personal space, but-"

"Shut up," Regina snapped. She at last found what she was looking for - Emma's hands - and quickly used them as a guide to slide her own hands up to Emma's shoulders and finally resting them on either side of Emma's head. Then she directed her gaze where she knew Emma's eyes would be, hoping Emma would understand and return her gaze even in the darkness. She did. "Trust me. Your magic will be safe with me. It may not be feasible right away, but I-" she faltered over the word 'promise'. She felt it burning the back of her throat like acid. "You have my word, I _will_ return what is rightfully yours when the time comes. But right now Henry is alone, and he needs his mother. He needs both of us."

"He's my son," Emma whispered, voice thickening with emotion.

"No."

"Even here, even now? Why can't you just let-"

But Regina cut off Emma's protest. "He's _our_ son. I know that now."

**Next chapter will be completely devoted to Rumple. Sorry, you'll have to wonder about Regina's fate - and Jamie's - a little longer ;-) Time to see what our power-hungry friend has been up to lately!**


	55. Chapter 55

Chapter 55

**Sorry for the delay. Had more trouble writing this chapter than I expected, but I had to keep my promise! I had fun exploring what I find to be a much more interesting side of Rumplestiltskin, so hopefully you'll all enjoy it, too. This takes place just after Rumple confronts Regina about kidnapping Belle, before his conversation with Emma. *Warning* This has not been edited lol**

The sound of chimes made Belle jump, the noise shattering the silence that had fallen around her. The shop, filled with more treasures and trinkets than even seemed possible to fit in the small space, was so full it might as well have been stuffed with cotton. The silence was absolute, but as she perused the shelves she discovered that it was something beyond silence. There was a sort of hum in the air as though the items surrounding her were all vibrating with life and energy. Was it the magic within them? Surely not all of the items here could be magical, yet she felt as though each and every one of them was contributing their own note to the otherworldly music. It was enchanting and it reminded Belle forcefully of home. Not her home, specifically - her palace had always felt like a prison, her life devoid of purpose - but rather the whole of the Enchanted Forest, and the possibilities that lay in adventuring to distant lands. It was one thing she truly envied of Rumple; not just his freedom to come and go as he pleased, but his freedom to go as far as his imagination could carry. She often asked him about the strange and exciting places he had visited, and he never disappointed her with the most wonderful stories. A beast he may be, but Belle knew he could still look at the world with the eyes of a man. Even, she sometimes thought, with the eyes of a boy.

"Has everything been arranged for Sidney?" she asked when she turned to face him.

"Hmm? Yes, yes, it's all been taken care of." He waved a hand dismissively.

"What happened to your hand?!" Belle rushed forward to grab Rumple's hand, which looked raw and bloody, but he waved her away.

"It's nothing, dear." He waved his other hand over the wound and it quickly vanished, along with any blood that remained. Belle nodded. She wasn't exactly aware of his ability to heal instantly but it didn't surprise her given the demonstrations of power she _had_ seen. "Are _you_ alright? You must be freezing in that gown. Here, let me find you something-"

"Rumplestiltskin," Belle said softly, grabbing his arm as he turned to hurry towards the back of the shop. "It's quite warm in here already. You don't need to fuss."

"I'm not fussing. I just..." his brows knitted together, unsure exactly what he was doing.

"Worried I might be cold?" she smiled. He tried to return it but his expression faltered. Belle shook his head with a small laugh. "So much the boy, Rumplestiltskin."

"You know, I've never really understood you when you say that," he admitted.

"Yes, I suspected as much." She smiled warmly, but it quickly faded as she took in Rumple's expression.

He stared at Belle, brows knitted in confusion and a sort of distrustful disbelief. "Why...are you being so kind?"

"Because, you foolish man, _I love you_."

"I'm not a man," Rumple muttered, frowning.

Belle sighed. "Must we begin this again? Is it not enough that we've come to a new world, with new opportunities? Now we can put the past behind us."

"How can you forgive so easily? After," he gave his head a sharp shake, "after all that I've done."

"Love is the most powerful magic of all. Surely you know that. I've seen your heart, Rumplestiltskin. I know the darkness in you, but I also know the light that it hides. You promised you would explain everything, and I trust you to do just that."

Rumple paused a moment, then nodded suddenly. This was what he'd been waiting for, hoping for. A chance to finally make her understand _why_. "Here, sit down," he said, pulling out an antique chair for her. She thanked him and sat down, looking very poised even in her rather disheveled appearance. He to a seat opposite her and felt his mouth turn dry. He cursed his nervousness. He was unaccustomed to such feelings and he hated them, wanted to tear them out of his heart. The feeling made his skin crawl and he had to mask a tiny shudder.

At last, he began his story. He told Belle all about Bae, and how he had become the Dark One only to lose his son. He explained the curse - briefly - and the sacrifices he'd had to make to come to this world. He explained how he had forsaken love in order to pursue power, but only to reunite with his son. He apologized for pushing Belle away, but he couldn't risk stepping off the path when he was so close to finding Baelfire. He explained the Queen's visit, and how she had convinced him that Belle was dead.

"Didn't you...try to to look for me?" Belle asked hesitantly.

"Your father held a funeral service for you. I had no reason to suspect Regina was lying." His words came out like a desperate plea. He wanted so badly for Belle to understand and forgive him. He couldn't explain to himself why it meant so much; he didn't want to admit that he needed her forgiveness, or anyone else's. He had set aside his morals centuries ago for the sake of his boy.

Belle nodded. "So this world...the curse that brought us here...that was all your doing?"

"Not _all_. Regina was the one to cast the curse."

"But you created it. And you gave it to her knowing she would cast it."

"I never meant for it to turn out this way. The Blue Fairy found a way to meddle with the curse without my knowledge. It was supposed to break when Miss Swan returned, allowing us all to leave. Then I would be free to find Bae and everyone else would be free to return home. No one aged here, so it would be like they never left. I never meant to make anyone suffer unjustly."

"But people _did_ suffer. And you knew they would when you put the curse in the queen's hands. I don't know what the consequences will be now that everyone has their memories back, but even _I_ know there _are_ going to be consequences."

"It was the only way to find him," Rumple whispered, his voice cracking.

"And the magic? You said that Bae came to a land without magic, but clearly you have plenty. Did you design the curse to bring magic here?"

"I...no," he said. Belle crossed her arms, waiting for further explanation. "I brought it here. I needed it to find Bae."

"That's a lie," Belle said simply, calmly.

"No!" Rumple shouted, feeling his anger rise. "This world is of an unfathomable size, full of mysteries that I don't have time to unravel. This little town is the only piece of this world I've ever known. How could I possibly hope to find Bae without magic? I need _something_ from our world, something I understand, to guide me."

"How did you do it?" Belle asked, curious.

"Bring magic back?" Rumple was taken aback by her question, expecting her to argue with his logic. _But you're right, aren't you? How could she argue with such sound logic?_ Rumple pushed aside the sarcastic little voice, feeling annoyed. "I created a potion of true love from strands of Snow White and Prince Charming's hair. I ensured that it would be brought here to Storybrooke when the curse was cast. And when it broke, I dropped the potion into the well, which is full of water from Lake Nostos."

"Lake Nostos..." Belle's gaze became unfocused as she thought back to the stories she had heard. "It has the power to restore something that was lost."

"Yes. It restored magic to this world."

Belle looked at Rumple, her eyes filling with a sort of amused sadness that Rumple couldn't comprehend. "Oh, Rumplestiltskin. All your years of planning and dealing and manipulating have blinded you, haven't they?"

"Blinded me to what?" Rumple was growing more and more frustrated with the conversation. Used to having absolute control, he was unaccustomed to feeling so thoroughly disarmed and he despised the sensation. Vulnerability. The word was like acid burning his insides. Vulnerable, he was a coward. He could never let that happen again.

"To simplicity," she said with a sad smile. She reached out her hands to grasp his, leaning forward as she did. "The water could have returned _your son_. You wouldn't need your magic because you wouldn't need to look for him."

"No," Rumple said, shaking his head as he stood. "No, it's not that simple. Bae wasn't lost, he was _taken_ from me. The waters of Nostos can't return something that's been taken." He was speaking very fast, shaking his head as he spoke, refusing to look at Belle.

"Sit down," Belle said, looking down at the ground while she waited for Rumple to calm down. When he at last sat down she looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "_This_ is what I mean, you know." Rumple shook his head and gave an exasperated sigh. "When I say you have the heart of a boy."

"I am _not_ a coward!" Rumple growled.

"Within your chest, under all of that darkness, is the heart you were born with. The heart that you held before you became this Dark One. It still beats, Rumple, and it still controls who you are and what you do. I say you have the heart of a boy because under it all, you're kind, and gentle, and playful, and I hear this incredible sense of wonder when you tell me stories about all of your exciting journeys. It's the same sense of wonder a child has when they look at the world. It's why I love you so much. But there's a reason children need protecting: their hearts are fragile. So I understand why you felt the need to become the Dark One, even when you didn't understand the consequences. And I understand why you couldn't give it up. And I even understand why you felt the need to have the power back as soon as you had the chance. You want to protect your heart. You wrap yourself up in the thickest, most impenetrable armour you can find, no matter how toxic it is. But that, Rumplestiltskin, is what makes you a coward."


	56. Chapter 56

Chapter 56

**Ok, taking a big risk posting this now 'cause I only have a vague idea where I'm going and I'm a little worried that I'm gonna come up short, but I've decided to just make the commitment and cross my fingers. Really hope this works out, lol.**  
**For those of you on Tumblr, you can now follow me (onceevilregal). I'll be posting chapters of my next fic there as well as and also accepting the occasional ff prompt/challenge, so if there's anything you ever want me to write just drop it in my ask box :)**

"Mom!" Henry shouted. Emma's head snapped up to look at Henry, relief flooding her. Regina had succeeded. Her relief was quickly drowned by resentment and embarrassment as Henry skidded on his knees, looking down at Regina with terror in his eyes. Of course he'd been referring to Regina. He only ever gave Regina the title of 'mom'. Emma felt disgusted by her own misplaced jealousy, but all she could do was hope that none of it was showing in her expression.

"She's alright, kid; she just had a tough time getting the magic she was using to work. Must have knocked her out." Emma discreetly pressed a finger against Regina's neck, just in case, but there was a strong pulse and Regina's breathing appeared steady and even. "Help me get her to the couch," Emma said to August, but it was James who scooped Regina effortlessly into his arms and carried her to the couch, leaving August to help Emma - who looked a bit surprised by the act - up off the floor.

Henry hurried after James, scrutinizing Regina to reassure himself that she was in fact alright. When he was satisfied that she looked healthy and unharmed, he allowed James to steer him back to Emma. "What happened?" Snow asked when they were all together.

"We were in some sort of cellar, I guess. It was pitch black most of the time. The Blue Fairy had some sort of enchantment or spell or whatever to prevent prisoners from using magic, but Regina remembered she had some sea magic..." Emma shook her head, feeling exhausted and confused by all this talk of magic and spells and enchantments.

"I _knew_ she found a way to trick that oaf into giving her his magic," Rumple muttered.

"Well, however she got it I'm glad she did. Took a while - she said she wasn't used to using it and it was even weaker here than it was, uh...back home."

"Was Jamie there?" August asked.

"He was with Regina at some point but he was gone when I got there. She told me he vanished but I think there's more to the story. Either way, the Blue Fairy still has him."

"Did she say anything to you? Anything that might explain why she kidnapped you in the first place?" Snow still didn't understand the Fairy's motive in taking Emma.

Emma's eyes flickered towards Henry. "I know she hates my mom. I'm used to it. Tell us what she said."

Emma's heart sank, not just for Henry, but for Regina. The ridiculous contradiction that was her emotions lately made her head spin. "I'm not completely sure why she took me, but I think it was to make Regina suffer. It's...not really important what she said." As the fairy's words echoed in Emma's mind, a thought suddenly dawned on her and she felt her heart race with excitement. "We can go to her now!"

"What? How?" James's grip tightened on Snow's hand, eager and ready to jump into battle.

"She said she couldn't let me leave because I'd be able to come back! She said my magic breached her sanctuary, whatever that means. We can find her now!"

"Let's go," James said instantly.

"Charming," Snow said, gripping his arm with her free hand. "We can't rush in there blindly; you know that. We need a plan, and we need help. Lots of help."

"I don't think anyone in this town is interested in helping us anymore," August said bitterly.

"Then we'll just have to change their minds," Snow said matter-of-factly.

James couldn't help the disappointment that crossed his face. He was tired of waiting. The idea of finally having a destination and a target and _still_ having to wait was excruciating. He glanced at Emma, who gave a tight smile, feeling his pain. "We have to wait for Regina to wake up anyway," she said with a shrug.

"Why?" Henry asked, having picked up on their exchange. Everyone turned to Emma.

"I'm pretty sure we can only get there by magic."

Henry laughed. "Emma, _you_ have magic. You really have a hard time remembering that, don't you?" He beamed up at her.

Emma sighed, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Sorry, kid. I'm just plain old Emma now. I gave the magic back to your mom."

"All of it?" Rumple asked, eyebrows raised slightly.

Emma looked around, feeling slightly guilty. "Yeah. All of it."

"Even your superpower?" Henry asked, smile disappearing.

"I had to. It was the only way to get us out of there. But she promised to give it back."

"And you believed her?" Snow asked, eyes filled with worry.

"I _keep_ my promises, Snow." Everyone turned towards the living room where Regina was now leaning against the back of the couch. She had her arms crossed and wore a bored expression, but Emma could see the tension in her body and the slight sheen of sweat on her skin and knew that just staying upright was quite an effort for Regina.

"Mom!" Henry flew towards her, flinging his arms around her waist. She lowered herself to rest on her haunches under the guise of giving Henry a proper hug. 'Smooth,' Emma thought. "Are you alright?" Henry whispered, pulling back to look at Regina.

She gave him a warm smile. "I'm fine. Just," she shifted her weight slightly but Emma suspected she didn't have the strength to pull herself back into a standing position, "a little tired." Snow walked over to them and offered Regina a hand. Regina ignored it. With what Emma could only assume was sheer willpower alone, Regina rose slowly to her feet. "I'm fine, dear."

Snow nodded, then looked down at Henry, her expression warming. "Henry, can you go get some homemade juice out of the freezer downstairs? We could all benefit from something refreshing right now, and I'm sure your mom could use the help getting her strength back." She ruffled the boy's hair. He looked up at her, clearly not buying her excuse to get rid of him. He looked up at Regina, who nodded, and with a dramatic roll of his eyes he headed out of the room and down the stairs. "Are you really alright?" Snow asked when he was gone.

"I'm just tired from the strain. Really."

"She didn't hurt you?"

"Not physically," Regina said through clenched teeth, annoyed with Snow's bizarre interrogation.

"Good." Snow said simply. Before Regina even had time to wonder at Snow's bizarre behavior, she backhanded Regina with enough force to knock her to the ground.

"Snow!" James and Jiminy shouted in unison. Emma and August exchanged shocked expressions, his morphing into a 'not bad' head tilt that made Emma shoot him a nasty glare.

"What the hell was that?" Regina roared, looking up at Snow.

It was all she could do not to shrink back when she saw the utter fury in Snow's expression as she loomed over Regina. "My father," she said, breathing heavily, "was a _good_ man."

"Been letting that one fester for a while I see," Regina said. She attempted to pull herself into a sitting position but all of her energy was spent. She finally gave in and sprawled out on the floor, arms spread wide. She chuckled as she stared up at the ceiling.

"You find this funny?" Snow said, face contorted in disgust.

"She's had a hard day," Emma murmured, remembering Regina's giggle fit in the cellar.

"You know what I find funny, Snow? We hate each other. I mean, you can deny it all you want, but you hate me. He admitted it, you know." She pointed to James, whose cheeks flushed slightly as he lowered his gaze. Emma gave him a curious glance. "Came right out and admitted it. Good man you've got there, Snow." Regina giggled and Emma could see everyone found the sound just as disturbing coming from the mayor as Emma had when she first heard it.

"You think it's funny that we hate each other?" Snow said, staring down at Regina with an expression more suitable for scrutinizing the criminally insane.

That seemed to sober Regina up. "No," she said, forcing down her giggling fit. "I think it's funny that we're inextricably linked. We want nothing more than to be done with one another, to carve each other out of our lives, but we can't. We can't carve out the past, and what's worse, we can't separate from each other in the future." She looked up at Snow, all amusement gone now. "My search for a family brought me back to you. Tied me to you forever." Her voice lowered an octave as she said, "Such a cruel twist of fate."

"The only difference is I have every right to hate you. You destroyed everything I love."

"After _you_ destroyed everything that _I_ loved."

"Take this outside," Emma finally jumped in, hearing Henry's footsteps on the stairs. She reached down and unceremoniously hoisted Regina to her feet. By the time Henry re-entered the apartment - empty-handed, Emma noted with amusement - everyone was back to looking normal. Regina had even smoothed out her clothing in true politician fashion, though Emma couldn't help noticing that they were covered in dust from the cellar.

"You didn't bring any juice," Snow said as Henry walked by.

He looked over his shoulder at her with the kind of exasperation only a kid can pull off, then looked up at Regina. "Did she hurt you?"

Regina and Emma exchanged a quick glance, both wondering if Henry was referring to the Blue Fairy or Snow. "No, Henry, she didn't hurt me."

"You cheek is red," Henry said flatly. He turned to Snow, who was carefully avoiding his gaze. The guilt she felt suddenly pressing on her was almost unbearable. "You know, for all this talk about her being the Evil Queen, it's funny how _she's_ the one who keeps ending up knocked down, strangled, and beaten."

"Henry," Regina said in a quiet warning tone.

"You're the _good guys_. Why do I have to keep reminding you all of that? The good guys don't just go around hurting people because they're mad! The good guys don't punish people unfairly!"

Regina opened her mouth to speak, tears stinging her eyes, but Emma beat her to it. She knelt down in front of Henry, resting one hand on his shoulder and using the other to stroke his hair. "I know this is hard for you to understand, Henry, but this isn't a fairytale. This isn't a story in a book. These are real people, just like any other real person in this world. We all make mistakes, we all get angry, and we all sometimes do things that aren't right. There are no good guys and bad guys, just good choices and bad choices, and no one makes good or bad choices all the time. There's a lot of history between everyone here, and a lot of anger."

"It's not fair to keep taking it out on her," Henry whispered, wiping his eyes angrily with the back of his sleeve.

"But that's not something you need to worry about, Henry. I'm going to be fine. We know where the Blue Fairy is now and we're going to find her and bring her to justice for everything that she's done," Regina assured him, crouching down next to Emma.

"But then what? When she's locked up and everyone has to decide what to do...what's going to happen to you?" Henry was trembling now, finally voicing the question that had been burning inside him for too long.

Regina glanced at Emma, who looked up at Snow, who looked over at James, who at last said, "I think the queen has suffered enough punishment for her crimes. As far as I'm concerned, her debt to my family is paid."

Snow didn't seem to be in complete agreement with his statement, but she nodded anyway. Henry shook his head. "Not everyone is going to forgive you. What if somebody else tries to hurt you?"

"They won't have the chance. When this is all over...I'm leaving."

"Leaving? But where are you going?"

"I don't know. It's a big world out there, and I'm finally free to see it."

"But I don't want to go all over the world! I want to stay here, with my family!" Henry protested.

Regina stroked Henry's hair with a sad smile. "And you will. I...didn't want to talk to you about this so soon, but..." She let out a heavy sigh. "You have a wonderful mother here, and the kind of loving family I can never give you. I know you'll be taken care of."

Emma and Henry both stared at Regina, dumbfounded. Emma couldn't believe what she was hearing. After all they'd gone through, after all Regina had done to fight for Henry, was she really just giving up? _Could_ she just give up? "Regina," she started, but Regina shook her head.

"No. I've made my decision." She stood up, carefully avoiding looking at Henry as he stared up at her with wide eyes, tears spilling down his cheeks. "I need to rest if we're going to go after Reul Ghorm in the morning. We should rally the townspeople as soon as possible, to explain the threat to them."

As Regina made her way towards the front door - with her magic restored and everyone getting ready to leave anyway, there was little point to her staying in the apartment - Henry attempted to follow but she silently steered him back to Emma before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

**Whaaa...?**


	57. Chapter 57

Chapter 57

**Wish granted, EvilRegal ;-) Well, sorta…**

Rumple opened his mouth to speak, still not even sure what he wanted to say, when he turned his head abruptly. He felt a familiar tug somewhere in his gut, and as he listened carefully he could just barely make out the voice of Emma Swan calling his name. He turned back to Belle. "Someone's calling me," he said flatly.

"That's a happy coincidence," she said, sounding slightly annoyed but otherwise quite calm.

Rumple bristled at the accusation, but he brushed it aside. "Will you be here when I return?"

At that her demeanour softened. "Of course."

True to her word, Belle didn't move while Rumple was gone except to further browse the antiques. When he returned, his expression was troubled, with a hint of anger. "Is something wrong?" she asked, genuinely worried.

"No, dear, everything is fine. It's all coming together." He strolled absent-mindedly towards the back of the shop.

Belle grabbed his arm to bring his focus back to her. "Coming together...? Is this more of your scheming? Rumplestiltskin, you can't keep manipulating these people!"

Rumple whirled on Belle, anger flashing in his eyes. Frightened, she recoiled. Rumple forced himself to stay put, to not advance towards her and scare her more, but his anger would not soften. "You claim to love me and yet you still have no faith in me. You claim to see the boy in my heart but in reality you still see the monster. Yes, I've been 'scheming', and yes, I continue to manipulate those around me, but only because they don't trust me! If I explain my intentions they're met with suspicion. Well we don't have time for suspicion right now."

"You want me to trust you?" Belle asked, straightening up defiantly.

Rumple blinked. It was a question he had never really considered. _Did_ he want her trust? Could he ever earn it? More importantly, if he did earn it, could he keep it? After everything he had done, after all the time he spent living as a man again, after all his efforts to put an end to the curse that the man underneath the darkness now despised, he was still the Dark One. He still felt the rush of power, fresh after nearly three decade without it, and it was just an intoxicating as it had ever been. But then, she had loved him even when the darkness had its claws firmly planted in his heart. "Yes. I want you to trust me."

Belle nodded briskly. "Then tell me what it is you're scheming to achieve."

* * *

"Get out of my house."

"Regina, please."

"What part of 'get out of my house' did you misunderstand?"

Snow crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm not leaving. Look at me."

Regina turned from where she had been gazing out at her now dead apple tree. Far from the raging inferno Snow was so accustomed to seeing in the queen's eyes, they were dull and empty. All the fight had been sucked out of her. "Just leave, Snow. Haven't you done enough?"

"Oh, Regina," Snow said, shaking her head. The emptiness in Regina's eyes struck Snow like a physical blow. She could only remember seeing that look once before, long ago. The day she confessed her treachery to Regina. The day the seed of Regina's hatred was planted, eventually made to blossom under the oppression of her father and his kingdom. Back then she hadn't recognized it for what it was, but she saw it clearly now.

"Did you come to finish our conversation? Is that it? Well then, by all means, let's pick up where we left off. You destroyed what I love, I destroyed what you love. To continue, you now have everything you desired - a husband, a daughter, a grandson, the title of Queen - and your last adversary is about to be vanquished. All hail the queen."

"I have a husband who won't allow himself to rest because he feels guilty for betraying me, despite my insistence that I forgive him. I have a daughter whose entire life I've missed and is now technically older than me. I have a kingdom that has turned its back on me because they don't believe I can be an effective leader. And..." her eyes stung with tears, "I have a grandson who would rather live with the Evil Queen than with me and my family. Yes, all hail the queen." Her last words were overflowing with bitterness. She gave a slight curtsy, ever breaking eye contact.

"Don't you get it? You've won. I will help you with your pest problem, and then I'm leaving. Why do you feel the need to keep coming after me? Have I not paid the price for my misdeeds?"

"All I want...is for you to tell me that he was a good man. I," Snow's voice cracked, "I don't understand how the man I knew could have done such a horrible thing to you. It doesn't make any sense!" Her last words came out bitter and angry. She could feel a war raging inside her. At her core she wanted so much to forgive Regina, to stop all of the heartache and the pain and the suffering of the woman she had once loved so dearly. But her hatred was so strong and burned so fiercely that it nearly choked the breath from her lungs. Her father was her hero, a beloved ruler, and a _good man_. If she couldn't even trust that to be true, what could she trust? What was there left to believe in? She just couldn't understand, couldn't accept that he had allowed Regina to suffer so much at his hand.

"Every word I spoke was the truth. Your father? He was as much a monster as my mother." The fire ignited once more in Regina's eyes, fueled by the air that had just been sucked out of Snow's lungs.

"Snow? Snow!" Regina and Snow both turned towards the door, and a moment later Emma appeared, slightly out of breath. She looked at Snow, red-faced and teary-eyed, then at Regina, fists clenched and eyes as black as night. "Why do you two keep doing this to each other? Why can't you just stay away?"

"Stay out of this, Emma," Snow warned, returning her gaze to Regina.

"No, I can't. Snow, you have to let this go," Emma pleaded.

"She insulted my father!"

"Snow, what she said before was _true_. I know it's hard to hear, but..."

"No! No, she took everything from me. She stole my life as a princess, she stole my _father_, she stole my child, and she nearly stole my husband!"

"Your father stole _my_ child. Maybe even my _children_," Regina hissed.

Snow put her hands, now balled into fists, against her temples, pressing so hard her arms were shaking. "And even after all that I was ready to forgive her. I was ready to accept that she had suffered enough. But now she's taking my _memories_?" She dropped her arms to glare at Regina. "HOW MUCH MORE ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE?!"

With a puff of smoke, Regina was standing right in front of Snow. She didn't even flinch at the abrupt invasion of personal space. Emma marveled - not for the first time - at just how little of Mary Margaret remained in Snow. Regina leaned in close, her voice low and menacing, and said, "If it were up to me you would be dead."

Snow let out a violent roar and threw herself at Regina. The two crashed to the ground in a heap, limbs flailing, fists flying. Emma heard the unmistakable sound of flesh on flesh, bone on bone as Regina's fist connected with Snow's jaw. A moment later Snow retaliated with a blow that set blood streaming down Regina's face, no doubt from a broken nose. Emma tried to grab Regina, who had the upper hand for a moment, but she threw Emma back with a blast of magic and continued pummeling Snow. Obviously she hadn't forgotten about the return of her magic; she had simply decided she would rather kill Snow with her bare hands.

Eventually Snow managed to throw Regina off and scrambled to her feet. Standing, Snow kicked Regina hard in the gut, then sent her reeling with an uppercut to the jaw. "Stop!" Emma screamed, trying to pull Snow out of the fray, but once again a pulse of magic from Regina tossed her aside. She got to her feet, pacing back and forth, watching the fight as it grew bloodier by the second. Emma cursed herself for not having seen this coming. She knew the resentment festering just below the surface would eventually lead to a confrontation, but she would never have predicted _this_. Her panic was rising now, Rumple's words echoing in her head.

* * *

"Where's Snow?" Emma asked, emerging from a long struggle to get Henry calmed down and into bed. August and James were already asleep upstairs.

"She left. Slipped out a few minutes ago," Rumple said.

"Left? Where the hell could she be going?" Emma shook her head, confused.

"After Regina, of course." He smiled. Emma stared at him, stunned. "I don't know why you're so shocked. I _did_ tell you Henry would lose our dear Regina soon enough, did I not?"

Emma advanced on Rumple, grabbing a fistful of his sweater. "You tell me what's going on right now, without any fucking riddles, or I swear I will spend the rest of my days making sure you _never_ find your son."

Suddenly Emma was holding nothing but smoke, which quickly drifted out of her clenched fist. She turned to see Rumple standing behind her, smoothing the front of his sweater with an expression of slight irritation. "Snow has gone to see our dear friend with the purest of intentions. However, we all know how talented Regina is at the art of diplomacy." Emma rolled her eyes. "Regina is going to push Snow's very last button, and in return Snow is going to draw out Regina's very last breath."

Emma was out the door faster than Rumple could have teleported.


	58. Chapter 58

Chapter 58

**Again, taking a bit of a risk with this one but the last one is paying off nicely, so I'll take my chances.**  
**Grace - I understand what you're saying about Regina making a mistake, but I think once you have the full picture you'll have a lot more sympathy for Regina. As for her blaming Snow, and Rum blaming Reul Ghorm, it's basic human nature to place blame somewhere inappropriate when there's nowhere legitimate to place blame; it's easier than accepting the randomness of tragedy. I really hope to win you over to Regina's side before this fic is over :P**

"_You want to know what I told Miss Swan?" Rumple asked, slightly bewildered._

"_I want you to tell me everything. As far back as you can."_

"_That's going to be quite the story."_

_Belle shrugged and sat down. "I've got time."_

"Regina, honey, what are you doing? King Leopold said you were still in bed."

Regina pulled the light spring covers over her head. She wished it were winter so she would have the thick quilts as a barrier between her and Cora. Not that it made much difference. "I'm feeling ill today, mother."

Cora sat down on the edge of the bed, yanking the covers down with a sharp snap of her wrists, revealing Regina, looking disheveled and slightly flushed. Cora leaned down and placed a quick kiss on her daughter's forehead; not out of affection, but to verify her excuse. "You don't have a fever," she declared, rising from the bed. "It's nearly mid day. A lady should be up with the sun."

"Leopold doesn't care if I'm up with the sun. He doesn't care if I'm up at all. Leave me in peace, mother." Regina attempted to pull the covers back over her head, but Cora quickly stripped them off the bed altogether.

"I won't hear any more of this nonsense. Get up and washed and come downstairs at once. Snow finishes her lessons early today and it won't due to have you absent all day." She marched out of the room before Regina could utter a single word in protest.

"Shall I draw you a bath, Your Majesty?" One of the servants asked tentatively.

"Yes, thank you."

An hour later Regina was dressed and heading down the stairs when she heard Snow come home from her morning lessons. The girl, now rapidly transforming into a young woman, smiles warmly at Regina. The queen feels her stomach twist into knots and manages only the barest hint of a smile before it vanishes. Just the sight of the girl makes her feel sick. "Are you well today Regina?" Snow asked, looking genuinely concerned.

"Fine, dear. Just tired is all."

"You've been terribly exhausted for quite some time. Are you sure you're not ill? Perhaps father should call the physician to see you," Snow suggested.

Regina glanced behind Snow to see her mother giving her a curious expression. Regina ignored it, her mind hazy to decipher it anyway. "I'm alright. Really. It's the heat; it makes sleeping difficult."

Snow nodded sympathetically. "Yes, it is terribly uncomfortable." She leaned in close to Regina, dropping her voice to a whisper. "When the heat becomes particularly unbearable I venture into the dungeons. I even slept there once! It's wonderfully refreshing and not at all as scary as it seems. But if father knew..."

"Your secret it safe with me," Regina said, nearly gagging on the words.

"Perhaps you could sneak away and give it a try. It might help you sleep."

"Perhaps. Thank you." Snow grinned, then skipped off to find a vase for some flowers she had picked after her lesson.

Cora sauntered over to Regina, hands folded in front of her. 'Very ladylike,' Regina thought, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. "I overheard Snow's concern for your health. She's right, you've been sleeping a great deal more than normal."

"As I told Snow, the heat makes it difficult to sleep soundly during the night."

"Hm," was all Cora said, raising her head in a sort of half nod. Regina finally did roll her eyes, walking away before Cora could say any more. She wasn't interested in trying to figure out her mother's 'looks' anymore.

Unable to return to bed with Cora breathing down her neck, and still not feeling particularly well, Regina made her way outside. Once her favourite activity, a visit to the stables was now out of the question. She went out to the courtyard to the shade of her beloved apple tree, which Leopold had been gracious enough to uproot and have brought to the palace. With the sun now at its highest in the sky, the heat was awful even in the shade of the tree. It made Regina's head swim and her stomach churn, so she hurried back into the castle where she immediately grabbed a servant and ordered her - much more harshly that she normally would have - to draw her a cool bath. As she waited for the tub to fill, before her servant Gwen could even finish untying her dress, Regina was hit by a wave of nausea and just barely avoided throwing up on her dress - or on any servants. She muttered an apology to Gwen as a young girl scurried off, no doubt to fetch Cora.

"Nonsense, Your Majesty. You're clearly unwell. Perhaps you should lie down?"

"No, no, I'm alright. It's just the heat; it's become unbearable."

"Indeed it has, Your Majesty. You were quite right to request a refreshing bath." Regina nodded, unaccustomed to - and slightly annoyed by - the constant 'yes ma'am' attitude of the servants. She allowed Gwen to finish untying her dress as several other servants hurriedly cleaned up the queen's mess.

By the time they were finished Cora had entered the bathroom and shooed everyone out. "Are you alright?" Cora asked, scrutinizing her daughter. Looking for signs of weakness and imperfection as always.

"I'm fine, mother," Regina insisted. "I just need to cool down and rest."

Cora nodded, quickly stripping off the remained of Regina's clothes and ushering her into the bath water, which felt gloriously cold against her hot skin. Cora, to Regina's stunned amazement, gathered the soaps and perfumes normally handled by the servants and began and wash Regina's long hair, carefully and gently working out all of the tangles. Regina relaxed under her mother's massaging fingers, letting her eyes drift closed. She knew Cora would inevitably say something to ruin the moment, but Regina allowed herself some indulgence anyway.

Sure enough, "You've been through hot summers before, dear. Much hotter than this."

"Perhaps it's these new royal materials. They make for much heavier garments."

"Silk is hardly a heavy material, Regina. I don't think you can continue blaming your illness on the heat."

"I'm not suffering the grippe, mother."

"No, I don't believe you are." Cora continued raking her fingers through Regina's hair, humming quietly to herself, though Regina could clearly make out the melody; it was an old lullaby.

* * *

Regina rolled over onto her side, frustration rising. Her mind was buzzing too loudly to permit sleep and it was making her body equally restless. She had already thrown off the covers and loosened her sleeping gown as much as she could, but she still felt sticky with sweat. Finally fed up with her discomfort, Regina rose from the bed she shared with Leopold and quietly padded barefoot out of the room and down the stairs. Rather than making her way to the courtyard, as she normally did when sleep eluded her, she continued on and finally down another set of steps. The stone under her feet grew steadily colder, as did the air against her skin. When she was finally standing on the floor of the dungeon she actually felt a chill run down her spine and had to wrap her arms around herself to ward off the chill. It was wonderfully refreshing despite the oppressive atmosphere of the torchlit dungeon.

A noise behind her made her jump. Thinking it merely a rat and chiding herself for being childish, she turned towards the sound and nearly fell backwards, a loud shriek escaping her lips. She regained her balance clumsily and stared at the creature before her, eyes wide, heart hammering in her chest.

He was a stranger, but not altogether unfamiliar. She had a vague memory of him, of meeting him as a child. Of course, the daylight, the wide open meadow and the youthful delusion of invincibility meant she hadn't feared him then. He terrified her now. At least, he terrified _most_ of her. There was a small part of her that was intrigued, and just that small part was enough to keep her from bolting up the stairs screaming for the guards. "Who are you?" she asked, voice shaking.

"I could ask you the same question," he replied in a playful tone.

"You intrude upon my own palace and you dare ask who I am?" she managed to infuse her words with a great deal more bravery than she actually felt. She hoped her couldn't see her legs trembling.

"I said I _could_ ask. I didn't say I needed to." He let out a high pitched, spine chilling giggle.

"Fine. If you won't tell me who you are, at least tell me why you're here."

"I'm here to answer the call of a frightened little girl. Just as I answered you all those years ago when that charming mother of yours gave you that...thing." He reached a long, clawed finger out to caress the scar on Regina's lip. She forced herself not to jerk away.

"I don't need your help now any more than I did then," she said defiantly, her voice steady at last.

"Perhaps not. But I can ease your mind, you know. I can still that buzzing brain of yours. Answer the questions that plague your dreams and steal sleep from your nights."

"The _heat_ is what keeps me awake."

"Then you should have dropped like Aurora the moment you set foot in this dungeon!" He let out another giggle, clearly amused by his own cleverness. Regina had no idea what the joke was supposed to be, but she didn't care.

"You can answer my questions?" she asked hesitantly. She felt her stomach flip in nervous anticipation, heart once again hammering in her chest.

"Yes. And the answer to your first question is 'no'."

Regina visibly deflated. The news was devastating. She felt tears stinging her eyes and cursed her own foolishness. She should have known Cora was wrong. She knew the source of her illness could never be what Cora suspected. She knew, but she had somehow still hoped...

"Your dream at an end. How tragic."

"You have magic, don't you? You offered to heal my scar, you could heal...other wounds." Regina's eyes shone with desperate hope as she gazed into the creature's eyes.

"I'm afraid that is quite impossible, dearie. I can't heal your belly anymore than I can heal your lip."

Regina blinked, confused. "But you said..."

"I asked if you _wanted_ me to heal your scar. I never said I _could_."

"Then why ask?" Regina shouted, indignant.

He leaned in close until their noses were almost touching. She could smell his rotten breath and it made her want to gag. "Because I knew you would turn me down." He stepped back and smiled broadly at her.

"I know how to recognize magic when I see it. I know you must be very powerful. There must be a way for you to help me."

"Only one. Follow me."

He turned on his heels and marched farther into the dungeon, grabbing a torch from its holder as he passed. Since only the entrance to the dungeon was lit, Regina watched the creature slowly disappear into the darkness of the tunnels beyond. Feeling a chill run down her spine that had nothing to do with the cold air, she raced after him. "Where are we going?" she asked, afraid to raise her voice above a whisper. She wasn't ashamed to admit that this palce scared her, and so did the strange man in front of her.

"Right here," he announced, stopping so abruptly that Regina bumped into him and quickly scurried away. He turned a knowing grin towards her but quickly turned his attention to a shallow pool of water. There was a trickle of water running along the rock that made up the wall of the tunnel and it dripped steadily onto the musty floor. The strange man crouched down and held the torch up over the surface of the water. Regina leaned over and watched, fascinated, as the light in the water began to change and shift until it solidified into an image of Cora. Regina gasped.

"What sorcery is this?" she breathed, shaking her head.

"Watch closely, my dear."

"_You accepted my proposal, Cora. You are in no position to bargain." _Regina recognized the voice as that of her husband Leopold.

"_I understand, Your Majesty. I merely wish to ensure that my daughter is well cared for." _Regina shook her head, feeling disgusted.

"_Regina will be queen. She will have the best of everything. She will have the love of my people and, more importantly, my daughter."_

"_And yourself?" Up until this point Cora had been bowing her head in deference. Now she raised her chin ever so slightly so her eyes could meet Leopold's._

_The king's eyes flashed with anger, but he managed to control it in his voice. "My feelings are none of your concern. Regina will be my wife and she will be Snow's mother." His tone made it clear that this was not open for discussion._

_Cora quickly bowed her head again. "Of course, Your Majesty. It is simply my wish that-"_

"_Speak plainly, Cora. I no longer wish to dance around your true intentions." Leopold sounded somewhat tired but otherwise he was the picture of patience as always._

_For a moment Cora was still, no doubt weighing her options. Finally she lifted her head, carrying herself with the confident authority Regina recognized. "I understand you have sent for several physicians from Midas's kingdom to arrive shortly after the wedding. I also know that you are in excellent health, as is your daughter. I'm sure you understand my concern, then."_

_Leopold nodded slowly. "I do. But none of this is your concern."_

"_All due respect, Your Majesty, Regina is my daughter. She is not in need of a physician, and certainly not a team of them. What is it you intend to do to her?"_

_Leopold sighed, clearly growing impatient now. "I intend to ensure that my daughter remains the sole heir to my throne."_

"She knew?" Regina shook her head, horror and disbelief sinking in. "She knew what he planned to do and she let it happen? She let him do this to me?" Tears flowed down her cheeks, burning hot, salty tracks in her now ice cold skin. But as she stared down at the image of her mother, her sorrow was nothing compared to her fury.


	59. Chapter 59

Chapter 59

**Time to check back in on Snow and Regina. Fear not, everyone, there is more to Regina's backstory coming up next chapter. And don't forget, this isn't simply a flashback, this is Rumple telling Belle **_**his**_** story...**  
**Impatiently awaiting updates? Fill your spare time with some other awesome fics, if you're not already reading them:**  
**Sparrows and Nigthingales, by minorshan - Evil Regals will love it. Has a beautifully elaborate backstory for Cora, which is pretty tough to find, and is very well written.**  
**All That Follows, by .Winter - Brings in an original character right from the get-go, but don't let that fool ya. Plenty of Regina and just about every other major character. Stick with it and you'll be rewarded with one of the most creatively unique fics I've read...probably ever. Granted I don't read fanfiction very often, but still, amazing story.**  
**And for all your SwanQueen fans looking for a sweet, profound, beautifully written fic, check out The Overturn of the Evil Queen by DiMick.**

Emma paced back and forth helplessly. Regina had the upper hand again after kicking Snow hard in the knee and sending her to the ground. Emma's brow furrowed, thinking she had seen Regina's kick connect a little too high to cause Snow so much pain. Sure enough, it was a fake-out, and Snow jumped up at the last second to get her hands around Regina's throat. As Regina struggled, mouth working in vain to take in oxygen, Emma's disbelief resurfaced. Clearly she had underestimated Snow, but surely Regina wouldn't just let Snow kill her. She had magic, after all. She could repel Snow as easily as she had Emma, and the fight would be over. But as Emma watched the energy drain out of Regina, she realized something very important, far too late: Regina wasn't going to use her magic. Regina might enjoy one last chance to assault Snow, but she had no intentions of ever winning the fight. Emma lunged forward, trying to grab Snow, but to her horror she realized that Regina must have put up some sort of barrier between them. Even as she was dying, her magic was still preventing Emma from saving her.

"Snow!" Emma screamed, pounding her fists against the barrier. "SNOW!" she sobbed, but either the barrier blocked her voice or Snow was simply incapable is hearing her anymore. Henry's face was swimming before Emma's eyes. The pain he would feel when he learned of Regina's fate became real pain in Emma's heart, slicing through her like a white-hot sword. "How could you do this?!" she bellowed. She wanted to lash out, grab Snow and shake her, knock this insanity out of her.

And suddenly there was a flash of intense light and Snow was sent flying, crashing into the wall with a heavy thud. Regina crumpled to the ground, choking and gasping, barely able to take in air. Her eyes were wide with shock and the sudden panic of not being able to breathe despite being free of Snow's grasp. Emma slid on her knees to where Regina was now lying on her back. "Relax, just relax. You're alright now, your breathing will even out in a minute." She scurried over to Snow, who was massaging the back of her head with a pained expression. "What the hell were you thinking? You nearly killed her! You _would_ have killed her!"

Snow groaned and rolled over, both hands now gripping the back of her head. Emma pushed her hands aside roughly to check that there was no severe damage. She made a mental note to check her for signs of concussion shortly. She looked over her shoulder and saw Regina still sprawled on the floor, chest heaving but on her way to breathing normally again. Her eyes were completely blank. "Regina?" Emma said hesitantly, crawling back over to her.

Regina met her gaze, mouth falling open slightly. "How did you do that?" she asked, voice sounding like gravel.

"Do _what_?" Emma asked, genuinely confused..

"I took all of my magic back. How did you do that?"

It slowly dawned on Emma. She had been assuming up until that point that Regina's survival instinct had simply kicked in at the last second and saved her, possibly even without her conscious effort. Now she realized her mistake. "You're saying that was _me_? No way. I don't have any magic, and whatever ability I did have I gave to you."

"Emma..." Emma turned to see Snow walking towards her.

Emma shot to her feet. It took all of her willpower not to slap Snow, whose face was already bruised and bloody. "How could you?!" The anger in her voice was clear and prominent, but it was the pain in her eyes that made Snow's tears overflow.

"I..." Snow swallowed hard, speaking becoming increasingly difficult. "I didn't believe I would kill her. I didn't believe I _could_ kill her. Emma, she's one of the most powerful magic users in the world!"

"Yeah, well, you forgot to factor in Regina's motives in leaving," Emma said, struggling against her rage towards Snow.

Regina grabbed Emma's arm and pulled herself up. "I think I'm starting to get tired of this," she said, voice still sounding rough.

"What motives are you talking about?" Snow asked. Regin looked at Emma, a similar question in her eyes.

Emma looked at Regina, both wearing mirroring looks of confusion. "You...weren't going to defend yourself."

Regina balked. "You think I'd let _her_ kill me?"

"But you knocked me away!"

"I didn't want you interfering," she said darkly, tossing a quick glare at Snow.

"You blocked me from getting to her, from saving you!" Regina's confusion resurfaced.

Snow shook her head. "Wait, back up. How did you even know we were here?"

Emma stared at Snow for a moment, realization dawning on her. She glanced at Regina, who clearly knew the answer before Emma even said it. Regina rolled her eyes and threw her hands up in the air, stalking back to the window with the barest hint of a limp. Emma shook her head. "Rumplestiltskin. He told me you were going to kill her."

"Emma, you have to believe me, I-"

Emma held up a hand to silence Snow, unable to look at her. "I know. He told me you came here with pure intentions, but Regina wouldn't be able to resist getting on you last nerve. I get it, Snow. I just...can't forgive you right now."

Snow's tears were streaming down her face now and she wore an expression of pleading. "Emma, I wasn't going to kill her. Even in that moment, I couldn't have killed her."

Emma lifted her head to look at Snow, pain in her eyes. "You know something? You're going to spend the rest of your life saying that. To Regina, to me, to James...to yourself. And at the end of the day after everyone has heard you say it yet again, you're going to be alone. Wondering if it's really true."

She turned her back on Snow and heard her footsteps run out of the room. Emma couldn't bring herself to follow. She walked over to Regina, who now looked just as she had when Snow had entered except for the blood and bruises. Her nose was still bleeding somewhat, sending a stream of blood over her lips, but Regina seemed oblivious to it. "You're full of shit, you know that?"

Regina turned her head slowly, blinking several times but never changing her blank expression. "Oh?" she said quietly.

"Yeah. Your eyes are brown." Regina blinked a few more times, this time narrowing her eyes. Emma shrugged. "I used to lie a lot as a kid. I had one foster dad who used to say to me all the time 'you're so full of shit your eyes are brown'. I never understood that, since my eyes are blue, but it seems appropriate here."

"Are you sure you're not the one who sustained a concussion, Miss Swan?" Regina said dryly, turning back to the window. A muscle in Emma's jaw twitched at the renewed use of her surname.

"I don't need a superpower to know that you were just egging her on. If you really wanted Snow dead you would have done it by now. You could have smoked your way into her apartment, slit her throat, and smoked out. Or grabbed her and smoked her over here with you. But you never did."

Regina rolled her eyes at Emma's description of her power, but simply said, "Killing someone has consequences, Miss Swan."

"Not for someone who has nothing to lose. You can cite Henry's happiness all you want, but you could have killed Snow a hundred different ways without anyone even knowing it was you and you know it. And that fake-out? You knew you didn't connect with her knee. I saw it in your eyes. You _let_ her get the upper hand."

"And why would I do that?" Regina drawled, sounding almost bored with the conversation.

"Because you knew that if the situation were reversed - if it had been you choking her instead of the other way around - you would have had the exact same problem that she did." Now Regina turned to lock eyes with Emma. "You wouldn't have been able to let go. You see, _Madam Mayor_, letting go, choosing not to kill her, would have felt like forgiving. It's why Snow couldn't let go no matter how much she didn't really want to kill you, it's why James couldn't let go of you in the woods, it's why you would never be able to let go of Snow...and it's why you're so mad at yourself now. Because even though you weren't the one doing the choking, you still gave in. You still let her win, because you couldn't handle seeing her lose. Deep down you want to forgive her."

"Your detective skills leave much to be desired," Regina muttered, looking out the window again.

"I know you want to let go of it," Emma continued, refusing to give up when she felt like she was so close. "The anger, the hatred...it's not doing you any good. I know it's scary. I know you feel like you have nothing to hang onto without it, nothing to wrap around yourself. But Regina, just-" Emma put a hand on Regina shoulder and suddenly Regina cried out.

A searing white heat was radiation from Emma's touch, the sensation almost unbearable. As Emma watched, too stunned to move, a bright white light complete engulfed Regina, forcing Emma to close her eyes. When she opened them cautiously, she saw that Regina's face was still bloody, but the wounds underneath had vanished. Regina touched her cheek gingerly where it had previously been swollen, then massaged the bridge of her nose, which had been broken. There wasn't even the slightest twinge of pain. She stared at Emma, mouth slightly open, eyes wide.

The sound of clapping made both of them jump. They turned in unison to see Rumple sauntering in, clapping his hands slowly. "Bravo, Miss Swan."

"I should have known you had a hand in all this," Emma said. Her anger was instantaneous, but as her brain caught up with her emotion she began to wonder just what it was she was accusing Rumple of. She finally decided that the mere fact of his meddling in such sensitive matters was grounds enough for her to be pissed.

"What are you doing here?" Regina asked, eyes narrowed.

"That, my dear, is an excellent question." He grinned, spreading his arms wide. "I'm here to make you a hero!"

Emma scoffed, rolling her eyes. She looked over at Regina, expecting to see a similar reaction, but Regina's eyes were locked on Rumple's and the muscle in her jaw was twitching. Her whole body seemed to hum with tension. Emma looked back at Rumple, realizing she had missed something.


	60. Chapter 60

Chapter 60

**Well as I'm sure you all guessed, I'm back at school. Between class, work, travel time and taking care of my dog, it's been a pretty tough adjustment after having nothing but free time all summer. The good news: I have weekends all to myself, which means whenever I need a break from studying I'll be working on this fic. Updates are still gonna be pretty slow compared to what I've been doing all summer, but I definitely still love this fic and I can't wait for you guys to see what I have planned. Really glad to see everyone seems to like Jamie and want to see more of him. Don't worry, we'll be seeing him again sooner or later :P**

"Hold your applause 'til the end, dearie."

_Cora was outraged, all pretense of deference gone. "You intend to make my daughter barren? How dare you!"_

"_You have every right to be upset, Cora, but I would remind you that I am king and I will soon be your daughter's husband. Her fate is mine to decide, not yours."_

"_Regina is the last of my bloodline. You expect me to simply allow this?"_

"_Your daughter will be queen. She will be loved and revered by my people. She will forever be known as the woman who raised princess Snow to be one day be queen. Is this not what you desired for you daughter?"_

"_I wanted her status, and that of my family, elevated," Cora said, struggling to regain her composure._

"_And so it shall be. But know this, Cora," Leopold took several long strides towards her, bringing them so close that Cora nearly took a step back, but managed to resist the impulse. "If you interfere with my physicians, if their work is not complete, she will be stripped of her title as queen. The law in this land allows me three days to reverse the bonds of our ceremony. And should you manage to interfere undetected, and should Regina one day bear a child, I will have you and your daughter executed. Do you understand?"_

Regina felt a chill run down her spine at the calm, almost cheerful demeanor of the king as he spoke such dark words. She saw Cora have a similar reaction. _"Yes, Your Majesty."_

* * *

"I'm not sure I understand," Belle said, arms crossed over her chest.

"You will, dear," Rumple assured her, a note of sadness in his words. Belle reach out and grasped his hand, giving him strength to continue.

* * *

"That's why she's been prying," Regina said quietly, leaning back against the cold stone wall of the tunnel feeling slightly light-headed. "She wasn't excited. She was afraid." She looked straight at the imp. "She did it, then? She interfered with the physicians?"

The imp gave an exaggerated frown. "Afraid not, dearie. No, the physicians went about their work unimpeded."

Regina had expected this answer, but she still felt hollow as the last glimmer of hope was snuffed out. "So she was worried they might have made a mistake, and she would be accused of interfering. And with no way to prove that she hadn't..."

He used one long black claw to draw a line across his neck with a dramatic flourish. "Never underestimate the power of the survival instinct."

"What would she have done if I _was_?" Regina couldn't even bring herself to say the word. It tasted foul in her mouth now.

"I don't think you need me to answer that question," he replied darkly.

Regina shook her head, fury bubbling up in her chest. How could her mother allow such a thing? How could she knowingly subject Regina to this fate just to elevate her status? 'She killed Daniel just so you would be queen. How is this any different?' Regina's knees buckled and she hit the stone floor hard, hands tangled in her hair, heavy sobs reverberating along the tunnel. "How could she do this?!" she screamed, her words barely coherent in all of her sobbing.

"She took your love. Your happy ending. She turned a blind eye while your child was stolen from you." The imp slid a long claw under Regina's chin, forcing her eyes up to meet his. "Did you know that I am a soothsayer?"

"I...I didn't," Regina admitted, breath hitching as she spoke.

"I can see _possibilities_. For the present, for the future...and even those lost to the past." Regina stared into his eyes, completely transfixed, and suddenly her vision was filled with an image of herself. She was the same age, dressed in her usual royal attire, but swaddled in her arms was the unmistakable form of a baby. Regina felt an ache inside her, impossibly deep, forcing another gut-wrenching sob from her lips. She squeezed her eyes shut. "Stop," she whispered, unable to take the vision any longer.

"_That_ is what she took from you. The last ray of light amidst the darkness."

"Why are you telling me this?" Regina whispered, unable to raise her voice any higher for fear of it breaking.

_Good girl. Clever girl. But now is not the time._ "You are not Cora's only victim," he said darkly. A flicker of curiosity crossed Regina's face. "She deserves to pay for her crimes and who better to bring her to justice than her own daughter? She has wronged you more than any other."

"You mean..." Regina recoiled, horrified. "You want me to kill my mother?!"

"I want you," Rumple paused, stepping back from Regina. With a flourish of his hand she saw something appear in his palm. It glinted in the dim torchlight and as he reached out his hand Regina saw that it was a small blade, easily concealed. "To take your revenge." When Regina didn't immediately reach out, Rumple took her hand in his and placed the blade in her hand, forcing her fingers closed around it. She couldn't take her eyes of the metal. "It is rightfully yours, after all."

* * *

"It wasn't one of my finer moment," Rumple said quietly. "I was desperate and I worried my window was closing. I had sewn the seeds of hatred between Snow and Regina-"

"It was you, then, who convinced Snow to choose Regina's horse as her own," Belle guessed.

"It was I who convinced Leopold that the horse should belong solely to Snow, yes. You see, I...I made a mistake in handling Regina. Not a grievous error, not one that could not be corrected, but an error nonetheless."

"I'm not sure I understand," Belle said, brow furrowed.

Rumple sighed. He had been unable to meet Belle's eyes since beginning the story. "I knew the darkness inside of Cora. I knew the hatred and violence she would pass on to her child. What I didn't expect...was for Regina to be so...untainted. I expected her resentment towards Snow to be instantaneous, for it to be all-consuming, but Regina resisted the hatred that burned so readily inside Cora. She was angry and upset, of course, but not nearly to the extent I expected. I expected my part in their lives to be small, knowing what Cora already had planned for her daughter and knowing it would lead to tragedy, but I had to push Regina again and again and _still_ she fought her hatred for Snow."

"She loved the girl," Belle said. The sorrow in her voice made Rumple turn his back, the rediscovered humanity within him, now stronger and braver than before, was disgusted, even as the monster in him laughed.

"Yes. I underestimated that bond. Too many tears without my son..." he gave his head a sharp shake.

"Why," Belle started, trying to steer the conversation back to his story, "did you convince Regina to kill Cora if you wanted her to hate Snow White?"

At this the monster roared with triumphant laughter and Rumple couldn't help the smirk on his face. He was glad he was no longer facing Belle. "Because Cora was already dying." With the monster back under control, Rumple returned to his seat across from Belle. "I knew Regina would take her time making the decision. It's not something one chooses lightly, after all. Then, when her decision was made and she set her plans in motion, I set obstacles in her path, one right after another. She grew restless and frustrated, her hatred for Cora burning even more brightly than I could have imagined. At last Cora succumbed to her illness - a sickness of the heart she had been hiding for quite some time - Regina was distraught, frightened. She felt cheated out of her revenge. With no outlet for her hatred, that all-consuming need to inflict pain equal to one's own, it was a simple enough task for me to steer her hatred back to its intended target. And at last the Evil Queen was born."

* * *

"Was any of it true?" Regina said quietly, a muscle in her jaw twitching. Now Emma was truly lost.

Rumple looked at her for a long moment, looking strangely small and..._human_. "No. Cora never knew of Leopold's plan. She innocently believed you were with child."

"You lied to me," Regina said, her voice thick with restrained emotion.

"I never claimed the images I showed you were genuine," Rumple said, the imp resurfacing for a moment.

"You lied to me," Regina repeated.

To Emma's complete and utter shock - and probably Regina's, though she was battling enough emotion already - Rumple deflated. "Yes. It was a lie."

**I hope none of you are too disappointed that I didn't continue with Regina's back story in more depth, but I have other things I want to move on to in this fic and I don't want to waste time writing about something that I could just have Rumple sum up. Hopefully you'll all agree later that what I've written more than makes up for what I skipped.**


	61. Chapter 61

Chapter 61

**Sorry for the confusion of last chapter. I jumped around in the timeline quite a bit and I imagine some of you got a little lost. I was trying to cram too much into the chapter so I could move on and I got a little carried away. Sorry about that, but lesson learned! To avoid confusion, I'll let you know now that we're going to jump back in time a little in this chapter (back to chapter 52, to be specific). And now, back by popular demand...**

Jamie heard a faint, unidentifiable sound, but he barely registered it. All of his focus was on Regina, taking in her words as they tumbled from her lips. Trying to make sense of everything she said was nearly impossible and it made Jamie's head throb, but one thing he understood perfectly clearly was the pain in her voice. He could hear the deep, heavy sobs issuing as uncontrollably as her words now and it made his heart ache. Maybe his mind hadn't caught up to his heart just yet - was it true? Had she really killed her own father? - but all her wanted to do was reach out to her, calm her, tell her that everything would be alright. Of course, their future wasn't looking particularly bright at the moment, but even that didn't matter to him now. The agony in Regina's voice was unbearable.

"Do you see now, Jamie? Do you see the monster behind the beautiful mask?" As Jamie made to move towards Regina he felt something brush his cheek and drew in a sharp breath, nearly crying out in surprise and fear. He shuffled back instinctively, recoiling from the unseen presence, and suddenly he was surrounded by blinding light and he cried out, squeezing his eyes shut because he couldn't shield them with his hands.

"Your eyes will adjust in a moment," he heard the same voice from a moment ago say.

After a few moments he was able to open his eyes just a slit, but everything was unbearably bright and he simply closed them again. "Are you the, uh..." discussing their captor with Regina had been one thing, but saying it aloud to someone new was strangely nerve-racking.

"I am Reul Ghorm, the Blue Star, more commonly known as the Blue Fairy."

"Right," Jamie said with a sharp nod.

"Your acceptance of our world is quite remarkable for one born of this world," the fairy remarked.

"I've been under a lot of stress lately," Jamie muttered, opening his eyes ever so slightly. He caught a glimpse of something blue floating just above his eye level and decided maybe keeping his eyes closed was best after all.

"I apologize for that. I should have taken more care to ensure that no strangers wandered into town when the curse broke, but...well, I've been under a lot of stress myself." She let out a soft chuckle.

"You'll forgive me if I don't feel like commiserating with the...whatever you are...who captured me and stuck me in a dungeon." Now Jamie could finally look up at the fairy, albeit still squinting slightly. As he took in her appearance he felt his stomach drop, and the full weight of the reality before him was dizzying. _If it's all real, if it's all true, that means Regina..._

"You must understand, I needed you to see Regina for what she truly is. I see the blind love that burns in your heart for her and it is _toxic_. I knew there was no other way to make you believe the cruelty in her except to show it to you."

"The only cruelty I've suffered here is at _your_ hands!" Jamie spat.

At this the fairy seemed to grow before his eyes. A moment later Jamie realized she actually _was_ growing rapidly, until finally she was the size of a normal human and towering over him. "Regina is a monster! She tore out the heart of countless innocents, including her own _father_. She is responsible for the death of countless children! She deserves to be locked up for the rest of her life! And you..." her voice softened as she slowly shrank back to her normal fairy size, "you don't deserve to be enslaved by your love for her. You deserve to be free to live your life. You've already lost so much in pursuit of her."

Jamie stared up at the winged creature, mouth open slightly, eyes wide now even in the brightly lit room. "She really did all those things? She really cast the curse that brought you all here?"

"The curse that stole our happiness," the fairy said, nodding solemnly.

Jamie let out a sigh. He lowered his gaze, shaking his head slowly. "I didn't want to believe it."

"I know, child. But I can help you. Now that you see Regina for what she is, you can allow yourself to be free from your love for her."

Jamie nodded slowly but continued to hang his head. "Easier said than done, I guess." He managed a faint, sad smile.

"That's why I've brought you here. I can help you."

Now Jamie looked up at the fairy, giving her his full attention. "What do you mean?"

"With love so strong in your heart and you so devoted to it, my magic could not influence you. But if you _choose_ to let go, I can take you pain away."

"I don't understand," Jamie said, genuinely confused.

The fairy smiled, swooping down to hover at Jamie's eye level. "I can make you forget her. You will be truly free from her forever."

* * *

There was a soft groan from behind that drew Ester's gaze momentarily from the tiny face sleeping peacefully below her. She'd been gazing at it for nearly an hour, feeling a swell of affection, pride and - though she was loathe to admit it - jealousy. Seeing a figure move in the corner she made her way over to the bed. "How are you feeling?" she asked quietly.

"I..." her friend looked up at her with tears in her eyes and Ester smiled warmly. The question _must_ be quite difficult to answer.

"The child is strong and healthy. You needn't worry." Her friend simply nodded, unable to speak. "He is asleep at the moment. Would you like me to help you to him?" Again her friend nodded and Ester carefully helped her out of bed, trying to push aside her concern at the whimper of pain as they rose to stand next to each other.

"Thank you."

"Of course. A mother needs to see her child." The duo made their way over to the makeshift crib where the impossibly tiny babe slept soundly and peacefully. Ester stepped back, allowing the mother her space. As she watched, unable to hide her smile, her friend began to cry softly. Ester wiped away her own tear, still smiling. "He is beautiful, Reul. What will you name him?"

"Liam. For his father," came Reul's whispered reply.


	62. Chapter 62

Chapter 62

**Whoops! Originally Reul's baby was a girl, then I changed my mind and made it a boy, but apparently I didn't change all of the pronouns to the right ones. Sorry for the confusion! I updated the chapter to make the corrections so it should make a **_**little**_** more sense now.**  
**EvilRegal - Don't worry ;-)**

"What the hell is going on?" Emma was struggling to piece together some meaning from Rumple and Regina's incomprehensible statements, but they were both ignoring her, staring intently at one another.

"Why?" Regina asked quietly.

"I needed to bring us here. I need to find-"

"No," Regina interrupted, shaking her head fiercely. "Why now? Why admit it now? You..." Regina seemed to be struggling to find some epithet vile enough for the imp but she came up empty, shaking with rage.

"Because...because I need your help," Rumple said, now sparing a quick glance at Emma. She had never seen him look so..._small_. It was disconcerting.

Regina sputtered a laughed. "My _help_? Why would I _ever_ help you? Why would I do anything for you after all you've done? You ruined my life! You stripped away any chance I ever had of happiness!"

"Regina, please..."

"Don't you DARE use that against me!" Rumple's mouth quickly snapped shut. "You _lied_ to me! Gryphon wasn't my last ray of light, a child wasn't my last hope for happiness, _Snow_ was, and you took her away from me!"

Emma stared at Regina, mouth open, eyes wide. Between Rumple's pleading expression and Regina's shocking revelation Emma was almost convinced that the white light had transported her to some fucked up alter-Storybrooke. Rumple didn't seem nearly as shocked by Regina's outburst. Once again Emma was left marvelling over the complexity of the history Regina must share with Snow, and just how much of it wasn't in Henry's book. Not to mention how much of it Rumple was actually responsible for. Just how long had the imp been scheming for his own ends?

"I know why you left," Rumple said, a spark of the familiar imp shining through once again.

"Of course you do," Regina spat.

"Well I don't," Emma said, crossing her arms over her chest. She was getting fed up with being out of the loop. "Henry is completely devastated! He thinks you're abandoning him!"

"Better to be off seeing the world than dead, right?" Rumple said, still looking at Regina, who fidgeted slightly under his gaze.

"So you _were_ going to kill yourself," Emma said quietly.

Regina's head snapped up. "No! I..." Her eyes filled with tears and in her nervousness she reminded Emma of a trapped animal. Regina wanted desperately to flee this conversation, anything but confess her desires to Emma.

And that was all it took for everything to click. Regina's words to Henry, her disappearance, her unwillingness to kill Snow, and of course Rumple's earlier words to her. "You were going after the Blue Fairy alone."

"Well no one else was ready to do it," Regina snapped, defaulting to a venomous tone meant to keep everyone at bay. Emma was finally starting to understand her patterns.

Instead of backing away, Emma took a step forward, and the caged animal instinct seemed to amplify in Regina's eyes. "You couldn't tell him what you were really planning, but you wanted a proper goodbye, in case you didn't come back." Regina nodded slowly, sensing where Emma was heading and scrambling to find some way of blocking her path, but it was no use. "You knew that either you would kill the fairy or she would kill you, but either way..."

"Don't say it," Regina groaned.

"Either way you would be a hero. No one in town would be able to question what you did."

Regina locked eyes with Emma, both women now fighting tears. Regina opened her mouth, swallowed, then tried again. "Henry deserves to be free. From the curse, from this town...from me."

"You didn't want him to grow up as the son of the Evil Queen." Regina nodded slowly, shaking with tears. Emma gave her own sharp nod. "And he won't. Regina..." Emma struggled to get the words out, "You raised an amazing kid. Everyone in town knows what he did to help end the curse. Everyone knows how brave he is. And whether they want to acknowledge it right now or not, they know that's because of you."

"So," Rumple said, clapping his hands together and making both Regina and Emma jump. "Shall we get on with it, then?"

Emma's eyes narrowed and Rumple's smile faltered slightly. "Why should we trust you?"

Rumple sighed, rolling his eyes up to the ceiling for a moment. "Because, Miss Swan, I have proven myself to be a powerful ally time and time again during these trying weeks."

"Why are you helping us? What do you get out of it?" Regina asked, mirroring Emma's suspicion.

"I..."

* * *

"So..." Belle started, struggling to wrap her head around all the information she had just received. "So we're all here, in a strange land, because of a curse that you created. And that curse was cast because you manipulated a young woman into hating another young woman enough to rip apart the happiness of an entire world. Is that right?"

"There's more," Rumple said, his eyes filling with sadness as he looked at Belle.

Belle could feel a sense of dread settling in her stomach. It got _worse_? "Tell me," she said, infusing the order with all the bravery she didn't feel.

"The Blue Fairy altered the curse before it was cast. My intention was for the curse to break and leave everyone free to return home while I remained to search for Bae."

"But...?"

Rumple forced the words out before his hesitation could set in again. "The curse destroyed the Enchanted Forest."

Rumple watched as all of the air was sucked out of Belle. Her eyes widened and she crumpled forward in her chair. "No," she whispered, tears stinging her eyes. Rumple rushed forward to comfort her but she shot to her feet, rage burning in her teary eyes. "How could you?!" she wailed.

"Belle, it wasn't my-"

"How could you ruin all of those people's lives? How could you twist an innocent girl into a cruel, hate-filled monster? How could you allow her to cast a devastating curse? Magic always comes with a price, isn't that what you always say? How could you choose it again?" She was sobbing now but her words rang out clear in the tiny shop, and Rumple couldn't help shrinking at them.

"Belle, you have to understand-"

"I do understand," Belle said fiercely, swallowing her tears. Her voice was strong and filled with passion. "I understand that you brought magic here, that you intended to bring magic here all along. And you know what else I understand?" She took a step forward, bringing her face close to his. "I understand that all of your scheming, all of the pain and the death and the destruction that you caused, was in vain. Do you know why, Rumplestiltskin?" She paused and Rumple gave his head a tiny shake. "Because when your son, wherever he may be, comes face to face with the Dark One...he's going to be sickened by the sight. He will never return to you."

* * *

"I..." Rumple hesitated, and Regina and Emma exchanged glances. Even Regina now seemed concerned by Rumple's strange behaviour. "I..." He took a deep breath. "I want to leave this town. And my magic - my curse - along with it."

**Ok, so, I really want to get this story finished before the season premiere and I don't have a lot of time to work on it, so I'm moving ahead a little faster than I normally would. This is where I've been headed with Rumple from the beginning (one of the few things I actually had planned lol), so for me this doesn't seem like any big leap, but it might to you readers. I apologize if the character development feels too rushed for you - I'd love to get some feedback in the reviews - but I think ultimately picking up the pace will allow for satisfying answers and revelations to come a lot quicker, which you'll hopefully all appreciate.**  
**I also want to apologize in advance for something I plan on revealing at the very end that's going to piss a lot of people off xD But it was also my plan from the beginning and I'm sticking to it :P For anyone who's worried about this, just remember: I am first and foremost an evil regal. And no, I'm not going to kill Rumplestiltskin xD**


	63. Chapter 63

Chapter 63

**Decided to leave my sweater at home this morning, since it wasn't really cold outside. Unfortunately, I realized after leaving that I left my cell phone in my pocket. Got out of my first class, it was pouring rain and freezing. Get to work, realize I forgot the keys to my office (also in my sweater pocket). Luckily we have spares, but you better believe I got teased plenty. Get home (after walking in the rain) only to realize I'm locked out and I have no cell phone to find out when my roommates will be home. I have a class in less than an hour, but I'm starving, have a full bladder, and really need to take care of my dog, so I won't be going anywhere. Sitting on my shoulder bag, on my wet, disgusting porch, thank the powers that be for WiFi and a full laptop battery. What to do, then, at a moment like this? Why, write fanfiction of course!**

"You're taking an incredible risk, Reul," Ester said, shaking her head in clear disapproval.

"He is my son, Ester," Reul replied fiercely.

"And what kind of life will he have here, with you?" Ester stood up, sliding her hand under's Reul's chin to tear her gaze away from the child. Her voice softened, and the fire in her eyes cooled. "He is not of our kind. Even if a miracle occurred and he were somehow accepted, he will never belong."

"He doesn't belong with _them_, either," Reul said, twisting her body slightly in a subtle protective stance. Her eyes were brimming with tears.

"He is more of their world than he could ever hope to be of ours. Trying to defy his nature will only harm him. Please, Reul, think of the child."

Reul gazed at her friend for a long moment, then slowly let her eyes fall to the peaceful face of the sleeping babe. "I am, dear friend. A child needs his mother. And so he shall have me. Here, where he can find some measure of belonging."

Ester balked, unable to even comprehend what her friend was proposing. "You've gone mad, old friend. You would live here as an outcast? Please, Reul, think clearly!"

"I am! You don't understand! You have no idea what it's like to be a mother, to make sacrifices for your child!" Ester recoiled at the venom in Reul's voice and Reul's eyes widened in horror. "I..I...I'm sorry," she stammered.

Ester held up her hand and gave her head a sharp shake. "Enough. It's clear to me that you've made your decision. I believe you are making a mistake, but so be it. If it is your wish, I will do my part to guard you and your secret."

"Thank you, Ester," Reul said, a few tears escaping. She looked back down at the child. "Who better to protect this tiny child than his own flesh and blood? You'll see, Ester. One day very soon he'll be big and strong, and he will work to better the lives of these people. You'll see."

* * *

"You should get that head wound checked out."

Snow spun around, struggling to focus through her tears. She choked down a sob, her brow furrowing in confusion followed by suspicion. "What are you doing here?"

Regina shrugged. "Emma was worried you might have collapsed somewhere with a concussion."

"And what, she got captured by the Blue Fairy again before she could come check on me?" Snow crossed her arms over her chest in a mirror of Regina's position, anger now replacing her sorrow.

"Look at you. The old Snow would be apologizing up and down right now, not glaring down the woman she just tried to kill."

"Well you'll excuse me if I don't kiss the ring," Snow said sarcastically.

A snarky reply leapt to Regina's lips, but she swallowed it. With a long sigh, she dropped her arms to her sides. "That's not what I meant. You've had knowledge of the curse for less than two weeks and it's already poisoned you."

"The _curse_ is not poisoning me." Snow's jaw clenched.

Regina nodded. "Your hatred its."

"You would know."

"Yes, I would," Regina hissed. Snow blinked. Her anger had taken such a strong hold that she'd almost forgotten herself. The acid dripping from her words reminded her of the person she'd become after forgetting Charming. It also reminded her of the woman standing before her. She felt a chill travel down her spine and quickly dropped her hands to her sides, giving her head a sharp shake. Was she really antagonizing a woman she had nearly killed unjustly?

"Oh Gods. Regina, I'm so sorry. You have to believe me, I wasn't-" Regina held up a hand to silence her.

"I came to give you information." Snow nodded slowly, deciding it was best to keep quiet for the moment. "Rumplestiltskin has a plan to bring the Blue Fairy to justice once and for all, but we're going to need everyone's help. All of Storybrooke."

"That's not going to be easy."

"You're their Queen. Make it happen."

Snow rolled her eyes, but nodded her agreement nonetheless. "Is that all?"

"That's the gist of it. We'll have to iron out the details later." But Regina still seemed reluctant to leave, and Snow's curiosity burned.

"Spit it out," she finally said, unable to contain herself anymore.

Regina opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Before Snow could say anything else, Regina vanished in a puff of smoke.

* * *

"Quiet! Quiet!" Emma yelled, but it was no use. Rounding up Storybrooke's citizens had been challenging enough; getting any of them to actually be quiet and listen was proving impossible. They were all frustrated, scared, angry, sad, and homesick. Some were shouting, some were talking animatedly with friends and family, and some were seemingly on the verge of tears. Many had simply taken up refuge in their old homes, while some had taken over nicer, abandoned homes. There were also those who had simply gone rampaging through the town, picking clean what they could, intent on revenge but unable to locate the source of their rage - either Regina or the Blue Fairy, or possibly both, depending on the person. None of them seemed to consider Snow an authority figure anymore, and while they might still respect Emma, they had never seen her as a real authority, either. As she screamed for them to be quiet, those nearest would quiet down a bit, but the entire town hall was packed and the noise of the crowd was too loud for her voice to carry through the whole place. Unfortunately Regina's earlier rampage of magical bombing had left the sound system completely fried.

"QUIET!" A voice bellowed, so loud everyone instantly covered their ears. Some cringed or cowered while others stretched themselves as tall as they could, trying to identify the source. Emma didn't even need to hear the gasps travelling through the crowd, followed by frantic whispering, to know where the voice had come from. "I believe we can begin now," Regina said calmly when the last of the crowd had parted to let her join the royal family.

"It's the witch! Kill her!" A voice shouted, and their were several shouts of approval.

"No one is going to kill ANYONE!" Snow replied, her whole demeanor radiating authority. 'Damn, she really _was_ a queen,' Emma couldn't help thinking.

"You expect us to trust you when you're working with her?" Several more voices joined in the protest until the hall was filled with voices again. Emma groaned.

"Would you like a hand, dear?" Regina whispered in her ear.

"You know, I might just accept this one," Emma replied. Regina winked, a slight smirk crossing her face. She moved her hand in a sweeping flourish and suddenly the hall was absolutely silent.

"Regina!" Snow hissed, clearly disapproving. From the expressions in the crowd, she wasn't the only one.

Regina stepped in front of Snow, looking out into the crowd. In the silence her voice carried loud and clear. "There is no time for petty squabbles now. There is no time to answer hundreds of unimportant questions. Our window of opportunity is small, and it is only with your help that we stand a chance of succeeding in our task. Now is not the time to speak, but to listen. All will become clear soon enough, and your voices returned to you." The crowd seemed to settle somewhat, though no one really looked happy. Regina stepped aside, taking her place next to Emma - this time on the other side, farthest from Snow.

"Thank you, Regina," Snow said. Emma could see a muscle twitching in Regina's jaw, but she gave no other reaction. It didn't matter; Snow had already turned her attention back to the waiting crowd. "I understand your frustration, your fear, and your concern. Our home is gone. It is a great loss for us all. But we cannot let fear and anger tear us apart! We may be from different lands, and different customs, but we are united in our sorrow. And we are united in our search for justice. Regina and Rumplestiltskin are not your enemies." Snow recounted, briefly, the highlights of the past weeks, including all of the sacrifices Regina and Rumple made, as well as the cruelty Regina suffered at the hands of Reul Ghorm. Emma watched Regina out of the corner of her eye as Snow recounted Regina's torture, but the former Evil Queen showed no reaction. "I understand your anger towards Regina, but I promise you all that she has paid a thousand times for her crimes, and she desires now only to help us. Any who would turn against her now are just as evil as the queen we all feared in the Enchanted Forest."

Emma watched many of the people in the crowd hang their heads guiltily as Snow's fierce gaze swept across the room. "As for Rumplestiltskin, he has done nothing to harm us since the breaking of the curse, except what he was forced to against his will. His knowledge of the curse, the Blue Fairy, and magic will be invaluable to our efforts. We must trust him if we are to succeed. We must _all_ trust one another." Snow cast a pointed look at Regina, who was carefully avoiding looking at Snow. Emma gave her a subtle elbow to the ribs and Regina looked at her, startled. Apparently she had been lost in thought rather than listening to Snow. Emma titled her head slightly towards the crowd and Regina got the message, quickly waving her hand to lift the silencing spell.

Far from the outburst of noise Emma had expected, it seemed no one was willing to be the first to speak up. There was silence for several long seconds before someone finally said, surprisingly calmly, "And what about you? Why should we trust you?"

Snow seemed caught off guard by the question, and she struggling to find words to answer. As she began to stammer slightly, she was cut off by Regina. "Sn...Queen Snow has suffered the exact same loss as all of you. In fact, she suffered the loss of her child, something she will never regain. In such trying times..." Regina paused and sighed. She closed her eyes and gave her head a slow shake, and when she began speaking again the mayoral authority was gone. "Snow did what she could under extraordinary circumstances. She may be a queen, but she is just as human as any of you. She could have turned her back on you as you did her, but she didn't. She's here, offering you information and giving you the chance to fight for the justice you've so far been denied. Take her hand, lend her your strength, and she will lead you to victory."

Regina relinquished the podium once more to Snow, but this time she didn't stick around to hear any more. She slipped out through the back of the stage and Emma quickly followed. "It's a shame, you know," she said, slightly out of breath when she finally found and caught up to Regina.

"I'm sorry?" Regina said, confused.

"That you never got to be queen. I mean, a real queen, a real ruler. You really know how to talk to a crowd."

"Yes, well..." Regina swallowed hard, as though the snarky comment she was choking down was a little more than she could handle. "Thank you," she finally managed.

Emma chuckled. "Don't choke."

"I make no promises," Regina muttered, continuing down the street. Emma followed, grabbing her by the shoulders and giving her a slight shake, grinning from ear to ear. "What are you so happy about?" Regina asked, smoothing her now rumpled clothing with a slight frown of annoyance.

Emma gave Regina's shoulders another squeeze. "We're about to actually _do_ something!" she said giddily. She ran slightly ahead of Regina and leapt into the air, thrusting her fist as high as it would go, rejoicing in the fact that her gnawing hunger for action and justice - not to mention answers - would soon be satisfied. She spun around, walking backwards for a few paces to grin at Regina. To Emma's delight, Regina returned an equally broad grin. As Emma slowed and the gap between them closed, she stretched out her arm. Regina mirrored the action and they brought their palms together with a satisfying clap that resounded in the empty street.

**I don't ship it, but the idea of them being friends gives me all the warm fuzzies ^-^  
**


	64. Chapter 64

Chapter 64

**Ugh, tying up loose ends. How awful. I really hate finishing stories -.-**

"Well I guess that's the best we could hope for. What about Red, is she still up for this?" A pause followed by a chuckle. "Alright. Rumplestiltskin has a plan but he needs my help." Another pause, then a sigh. "I promise I'll explain everything as soon as I can, but we don't have time to sit down and discuss the details right now. Just trust me." A long pause and a sidelong glance that made Regina's brow furrow. "Yeah, that's a good idea." Pause. "I will." Emma ended the call and looked up at Regina.

"She got them to agree to help?"

"Barely. Not everyone is really capable of helping, though, so she wants to hide them in the mausoleum."

Well that explained the strange look a moment ago. "She's being awfully liberal with my services."

"Regina, they're poor, scared people who need a place where they can be safe from the Blue Fairy. You can rescind your permission when this is all over, right?"

"Actually, no. Once permission is given, there's no taking it back."

Emma blinked, surprised. She hadn't considered that possibility. "They need shelter, Regina. What could you possibly be so worried about them doing in there?"

Regina shook her head. "I never said I was worried about letting them in, merely clarifying the specificities of the enchantment." Emma nodded, satisfied. "That doesn't mean the plan is going to go smoothly. I may have no reservations in letting them in, but has Snow actually discussed this plan with anyone?"

"I don't think so, why?"

"Emma, they're not going to want to stay in that place."

"It's the only place in town they'll be safe. I'm sure they'll get over the 'Evil Queen Lair' hangup."

Regina rolled her eyes. "You really don't know what's down there?" Emma's brow furrowed as she searched her memory. When she came up blank she looked at Regina questioningly. Regina sighed. "My wall of hearts, Miss Swan."

"Wall of..." Emma's lip curled in disgust. Regina crossed her arms over her chest, head lowered, and Emma quickly wiped the expression from her face. "They're just gonna have to get over it. They either take refuge in the mausoleum or risk getting caught in the middle. It's their choice." She turned to walk down the street, continuing towards the pawn shop where they had agreed to meet Rumple.

"I have the blood of children on my hands, you know."

Emma stopped dead in her tracks. Her mind reeled, trying to connect the statement to their previous conversation and coming up blank. She turned slowly to see that Regina was still standing where she had been a moment ago, arms still crossed, staring at Emma with a completely neutral expression. "What are you doing?" Emma said, shaking her head as she walked back to Regina.

"Playing nice has been fun, but your encouragement rings hollow if you don't know what you're really facing."

"A monster?" The sudden acid in Emma's words made Regina take a step back. Emma mirrored the action by taking a step closer, eyes blazing. "How many, Regina? How many people have you killed? How many lives have you destroyed? Do you even know?" Regina continued to recoil. She hadn't expected such a fiery reaction. Emma continued to advance on her. "Tell me about them. Tell me about all the times someone has begged for your mercy. Tell me about all the children who will never see their mother or father again because of you. Tell me about all the children who will never grow up because of you." Regina let out a soft 'umph' as her back hit a wall. Emma closed the gap between them, bringing her mouth right up to Regina's ear. "Tell me about the blood you feel, hot a sticky on your skin, still oozing between your fingers after all these years."

Regina blinked, pulling her head to the side to look into Emma's eyes, brow furrowed, mouth open slightly. Emma's eyes were no longer blazing with fury, but they burned nonetheless. "Tell me about the bottles of lotion you go through week after week trying to soothe the skin on your hands that you've scrubbed raw." Emma lifted her hand and gently touched Regina's cheek; the marks of her imprisonment had been healed along with the wounds inflicted by Snow, but Emma still remembered them clearly. "Tell me how you ended up with four long scratches on your face...in a prison full of ghosts." She dropped her hand, taking a small step back. "I'm not a child, Regina. I don't believe in fairy tales. I know they didn't call you the Evil Queen because you stomped around your black castle muttering curses. Either go back to being that woman, or give her up entirely, because I will not be the weapon of your self-loathing anymore."

All the strength now gone from her legs, Regina collapsed to her knees. She put her face in her hands and began to sob, unable to control herself no matter how loathe she was to break down in front of Emma _again_. It was her defense, her security - attack herself before someone else could. Provoke them and at least you wouldn't be surprised by the attack. Now Emma was stripping that away, and Regina didn't know what was left to hold on to. If she could no longer manipulate Emma, fuel and control Emma's anger and hatred, how could they possibly work together? "Regina," she heard Emma say, her voice barely penetrating the horrible sensation of emptiness beneath Regina's feet. "Regina, look at me." Her voice was firm but not unkind. Regina lifted her head slowly, at last forcing her eyes up to Emma's. Emma put her hands on Regina's shoulders and leaned forward until their foreheads were touching. Emma's skin felt cool against the slight fever of her tears. "Give it up, Regina. If you let go you can grab hold of something else."

"What if there _is_ nothing else?" she whispered quietly, unable to speak fully without her voice cracking.

"There is." Suddenly the image of Henry's face appeared in Regina's mind's eye.

"It's not fair to him. I can't lean on him."

"No, but you can hold his hand until you find something more solid. Think of him as a lifeline. From there you find a crutch, and eventually you'll find strength and solid ground again. But first you have to let go." Regina nodded, her whole body trembling. She felt a strange sensation, spreading from Emma's hands, dispelling her fever and warming her trembling muscles until her tears were dry and her strength returned.

They stayed there for a long time, in the shadow of the boarded up library, sitting cross-legged and staring in opposite directions. Eventually Emma shuddered visibly and they both at last became aware of the chill in the air. Without a word they both got to their feet and started towards the pawn shop once more. "That whole 'saviour' thing..." Regina started, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, what about it?"

Regina shrugged, head down, hands pushed deep into her pockets. "I think you may be taking it a little too seriously." Emma laughed and gave Regina a shove, sending her stumbling off course for a moment. Regina smiled.

* * *

"Forget her? You mean, forget she even exists? Our time together?"

"You'll forget everything. Regina, this place, your experiences here, everything. You'll be free, Jamie."

"And...and you're sure it'll work? I mean, how _does_ it work?"

"I will perform the magic, and you must allow it to enter you. You don't have to let go of your love, you just have to _want_ to let go. In just a few moments you can forget everything."

Jamie was quiet for a moment, his mind reeling. He looked up at the fairy again. "But what if I don't want to forget everything?"

"Jamie, Regina is-"

Jamie held up a hand, shaking his head. "No, no, that's not what I meant. What about you? You're doing so much to help me. There must be something I can do for you in return. Regina didn't tell me much, but she _did_ tell me you're all stuck in this town. That's why you're all still here, even though the curse is broken, right?"

"This is not your fight. I assure you, you owe me nothing. All I wish for you is freedom and happiness. I will escort you to the boundaries of Storybrooke before releasing you from your memories."

"I don't want to leave Storybrooke. I want to stay and help you in any way that I can."

The fairy smiled faintly. "I have failed in my duty and now it appears peace may be impossible. I fear a battle is coming, a battle of magic. Someone of your world, no matter how accepting, will be ill-suited to participate."

"You might think that now, but when this 'battle' actually happens I might be more useful than you think." The fairy still didn't seem convinced. Jaime raised himself onto his knees to make better eye contact. "You don't understand what my life had been like since coming here. Since meeting _her_. If you take away _everything_ I've learned today, everything about this place, you'll be sending me back to an empty life. That's why it's been impossible for me to let her go: I have no other purpose in my life. If you're going to take away my time with her, you have to give me something else to hold onto. Please, I'm begging you; if you really want to help me, give me a new purpose."

This, at last, penetrated the fairy's resolve. She sighed and nodded slowly. "Alright. I make no promises, but I will allow you to remain with me until the conflict here has settled, however it is settled. Now, are you ready?"

Jamie fell back onto his haunches, his heart hammering. He nodded, forcing himself to breathe deeply. "What do I have to do?" he asked.

"You've already done everything you need to do. You have the desire to let go. You've recognized the love in your heart as something impure and toxic. Just close your eyes." He followed her instructions, his whole body humming, his heart frantically trying to escape his chest. Regina's face rose in his mind and his felt the sting of tears in his eyes.

**I know, I know, but I PROMISE this isn't SwanQueen. I'm not an SQ shipper. Really! I just love those two *wipes away single tear* And I love turning Emma into an actual HERO. Season 1, I'm sorry, but you really dropped the ball there. Poor talented JMo :(**


	65. Chapter 65

Chapter 65

**Guest (whoever you are) - The story isn't over yet! Sorry if I gave you that impression, lol.**  
**Dracomom - You should know better than to take anything I write at face value :P I agree with you about Emma. I have high hopes for her in season 2 and I think if the writers do it right, they can turn her into a character I actually like. I'm going into season 2 with an open mind. I completely agree with you about everything else too (except Rumbelle, which I'm really not a fan of, but I'm always up for more Bobby Carlyle!). As for Reul's son, well, that'll all become clear sooner or later. I hope. Finding the end of this story is proving a bit tricky, lol.**

"Rumple?" Emma called, sticking her head into the shop. When no answer came she walked straight into the shop, Regina right behind her. "Rumplestiltskin!"

"He - he's not here. He stepped out for a minute." Emma turned her head to see a young woman standing in the doorway that lead to the back of the shop. She was dressed in a stunning white silk dress and her long brown hair fell in artful waves down to her waist. Her voice was even and calm, but Emma could see her hands trembling and her eyes were locked on Regina. Regina, oddly, was carefully avoiding the woman's gaze. Emma cast a curious glance between the two.

"Who are you?" she asked the young woman.

"Belle," she answered, giving a slight curtsy.

"Right," she said, remembering what Regina had told her about having Belle locked away. At least she knew why both Belle and Regina looked so uncomfortable. "So Belle. So are you, uh..."

Looking for clarification, Emma cast a glance at Regina, who couldn't fight her smile. "Yeah. I got a kick out of that one."

"I'm sure you did," Emma muttered. _Well there goes another beloved Disney movie down the toilet_. She turned her attention back to Belle. "Did Rumple tell you anything about his plan?"

"Some, but I think we'd better wait until he returns."

"No need, Dear. Evening," he said, nodding his head to Emma. He ignored Regina completely, although Emma couldn't help noticing how he carefully placed himself between Belle and Regina. "Now then, was Snow successful in enlisting the help of our fellow fairy tales?"

Emma nodded. "The ones who can't fight are going to stay in Regina's mausoleum for safety."

"That should be attended to as soon as possible. We need to act quickly. The element of surprise is our greatest weapon right now."

"She must know we're gone by now," Emma said, shaking her head.

"I just checked and she doesn't."

Regina's eyes narrowed. "How could you possibly 'check'? You said you couldn't find her!"

"I didn't have to, Dearie." He grinned.

"Rumple," Belle hissed.

Rumple sighed and Emma bowed her head slightly to hide her grin. "I captured her friend Jefferson. A little truth serum and he told me everything I needed to know. Reul Ghorm has no idea you've escaped, or that we'll soon be coming for her. In fact, Reul Ghorm is gone for the night and won't return until dawn."

Emma's jaw fell open when she heard the name Jefferson. Now she clenched her jaw. "You captured Jefferson? Why the hell didn't you do that days ago?!"

"He couldn't have told us anything useful _days ago_. The Blue Fairy would never be foolish enough to make tracking her as simple as capturing her non-magical ally. I assure you, Jefferson is quite incapable of giving us Reul Ghorm's location, just as he would have been days ago. There's nothing he could have told us that would be of any value. No, better to wait until he _could_ be of value. Today, for example. Now, are you satisfied? We need to move quickly; we have a lot to do and precious little time."

Emma nodded. Belle looked from her to Rumple. "What exactly _is_ your plan?"

"Don't worry about it, dear. You'll be safe in the mausoleum in the woods."

Belle took a step back from him, closer to Emma. "I'm not going to hide in the woods, Rumplestiltskin. I'm going to help."

"Belle-"

"No," she said, holding her hand up to stop him. "This isn't open for discussion. I'm going with you, so if you _really_ want me to be safe you'll tell me what our plan is."

A muscle twitched in Rumple's jaw and he blinked rapidly several times. Finally he nodded sharply and began to explain. "Regina is going to teleport Emma and I into the basement where they were held captive earlier. Since she's already teleported out, she can easily find her way back. Once we're inside, our magic will penetrate Reul Ghorm's. From there Regina and I will take our fellow citizens into the basement as quickly as possible. Once everyone is inside, we'll be able to catch her off guard with the sheer force of numbers."

"Why not just bring everyone in on foot? Surely the two most powerful magic users should be doing something more productive than teleporting people back and forth," Belle said.

Rumple couldn't help it - he grinned. "Because, dear, Reul Ghorm will be so distracted by said powerful magic users that she won't even notice our secret weapon sneaking in her front door."

"Secret weapon?" Belle said, thoroughly confused now.

Rumple let out a high-pitched giggle and stretched out a long, clawed finger. "Why, the saviour, of course."

* * *

"You want to lock us away in the Evil Queen's dungeon?!" The cry of outrage echoed around the room.

"Of course not," Snow said, frustration mounting. "You won't 'locked away'; you'll be free to leave any time. The _mausoleum_ will provide you protection from the Blue Fairy. Only those with permission can enter, and she doesn't have permission."

"How can you be so sure? She's incredibly powerful!"

"She tried to kidnap me when I was hiding there. She can't get in." Everyone turned to look at Henry, who was sitting in a chair swinging his legs back and forth, looking rather sullen. He didn't even bother looking up as he spoke. Snow longed to comfort him but she knew nothing she could say now would help. Besides, she had to get these people to safety as quickly as possible.

"There, now you can be certain. Listen, it's the only place in Storybrooke where your safety will be guaranteed. If you want to risk your safety, fine, stay here." Snow's last nerve was just about gone. She turned and headed for the door. Everyone seemed reluctant to follow, chattering amongst themselves, but Henry quickly slid off his chair and hurried after her. At last the crowd followed and it was a nearly silent trip through the dark forest to the mausoleum. Regina had already called Snow and given her permission verbally for any citizens of storybrooke needing or wanting shelter to enter her mausoleum. Snow hoped the strategy would work.

All of the fight apparently sucked out of them, the crowd of elderly, ill and/or very young citizens filed into the mausoleum, looking only slightly apprehensive. "Snow, please, I wanna come with you."

"Henry, don't be ridiculous. This is _dangerous_. You promise me you'll stay here!"

"But-"

"No, Henry." Snow kneeled down in front of the boy, her voice softening. "I know this must be frustrating for you. You're so smart and so brave, I understand your desire to help. But Henry, no matter how smart you are, you're still a boy. It's our job to protect you and keep you away from danger. I know it's difficult, but I need you to stay here. You don't want us worrying about your safety when we should be focusing on other things, do you?" Henry shook his head. Snow smiled and placed a kiss on Henry's forehead. "You're an amazing kid, you know that? You're going to be a great leader someday."

"Then I'll get to fight battles, too?" Henry said, forcing a smile, wanting to prove to Snow that he accepted her decision - even if he didn't really feel that way.

Snow shook her head. "Henry, I hope with all my heart that, with leaders like you in our future, there won't be any battles to fight."

Henry gave a genuine smile this time and hugged Snow tightly. "Come back safe, okay? And bring everyone with you."

"I will, Henry," she said, though a treacherous voice in her head told her she might not be able to keep that promise.

"Snow?" Henry pulled back to look her in the eye. "Regina too, okay?"

Snow's heart sank. Henry may not know about her latest run-in with Regina - thankfully Rumplestiltskin had popped in before her speech just long enough to heal her wounds - but he knew the animosity that existed between them nonetheless and it made Snow feel unbearably guilty. '_And at the end of the day after everyone has heard you say it yet again, you're going to be alone. Wondering if it's really true._' Emma's words rang in Snow's ears and she felt sick. _Oh Gods. It's not true at all. I almost took Henry's mother from him._ She struggled to hold herself together; breaking down in front of Henry was not acceptable. She grabbed hold of his shoulders and looked into his eyes, thankful when he voice came out steady. "I will do everything in my power to protect everyone that you and I love, Henry. We're going to make sure the Blue Fairy can never hurt her again."

Henry nodded and gave Snow another tight hug before finally heading back towards the mausoleum. After one last long look at the small figure, Snow made her way back to the the diner, where everyone was meeting to get ready for the attack. It was on the long walk back that she let the guilt take hold and force out heavy tears from her heart.

**Just a quick note, very un-edited chapter here. Forgive me, grammar/spelling nazis, but I have a lot on my plate, lol.**


	66. Chapter 66

Chapter 66

**reviewer - Permission can be granted by anyone in Regina's family line, but no, permission has to be given to a specific person and it only applies to that person, it doesn't spread to that person's entire family. Interesting theory, though. Not necessarily wrong, either, just wanted to clarify that for ya. As for Rumbelle, I just don't feel any chemistry there. I'm not really a fan of Belle so far, so that may be why. But I don't begrudge anyone their ships, lol.**  
**Oncer - Aw, that's really sweet. Writing this has kept **_**me**_** sane this summer, haha. Sorry updates have been slow lately, I'm just so swamped. I think I really spoiled you guys this summer with the daily updates, lol. And yes, I intend to tell more of the Blue Fairy's story, though probably not in as much detail as I would like because I just don't have the time. I'll hit the highlights, though, so everyone understands everything they need to understand.**

Regina couldn't help holding her breath as she drew the magic around her - strange how it was so much easier to control now that her anger was subdued - and focused it. When she released it in a sudden pulse, yanking her out of the pawn shop along with her companions, she nearly panicked, forgetting that the basement would be pitch black. "Can you, uh...turn the lights on in here? Like before?" Emma whispered, making Regina jump.

Regina nodded, a pointless gesture, and struggled to find the sea magic that would penetrate the Blue Fairy's defenses. Her heart was hammering and part of her didn't even want to see their surroundings. Light meant knowing. Sure, Regina _knew_ the room was empty, but as long as it was pitch black she could hope that is wasn't. She could hope that he was there, just feet away, sleeping or maybe even unconscious but _right there_. And what if he was there? Bringing in light would mean he could see her, too. And she would see the look of horror and disgust and hatred on his face and...

"We need to hurry, Regina. There will be plenty of time to worry when this is all over," Emma said, feeling Regina trembling next to her. She put a hand on Regina's shoulder, that same curious sensation flowing over her muscles until they stilled.

"Thanks," Regina whispered, and resumed her search for the right magic. When she at last felt something that seemed right, it took several more minutes to uncover it enough to finally pull out. At last Regina saw light through her eyelids. She forced herself to open her eyes and felt her heart sink. She _knew_, of course, but that didn't make it any harder to accept.

"We'll find him," Emma said softly, resting her head on Regina's shoulder for a brief moment. Regina simply nodded.

"Right, shall we get to work then?" Rumple clapped his hands loudly, making everyone jump. "Emma, I'll take you to the perimeter. From there you need to find a suitable place to wait Reul's return. Out of sight, of course. Wait for the signal. Regina, you start bringing in the troops!" Rumple couldn't help feeling a bit giddy at the thought of taking on the fairy at last.

"Should Regina really be the one to do that?" Belle asked, glancing nervously at the former queen.

"You think they'll trust _him_ more than me?" Regina rolled her eyes. "Have you told her _anything_?"

Rumple's eyes flashed and Regina's fists clenched. Emma quickly stepped between them. "Take it easy, you two. We don't have time for your rivalry right now. Belle, I'm sorry, but Regina's right. No one is really eager to work with either of these two, but Regina is a lot less likely to scare the crap out of anyone than Rumple."

Regina wore a very odd expression and Emma shot her a questioning look. She crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm oddly offended by that," she said. Rumple giggled.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Alright, let's go. Belle, I need you to do your what you can to keep everyone calm." Belle nodded.

"Be right back," Rumple said, and he and Emma vanished.

Belle grabbed hold of Regina's arm just as she was about to teleport. "What are you doing?"

"This may be the last chance I have to speak to you alone," Belle said, jaw set, eyes locked on Regina's.

"I hate to break it to you dear, but nothing you could possibly do to me would even come close to what I've already endured these past weeks."

"Rumplestiltskin _did_ tell me everything. He told me about the day you met. He told me all the horrible things he did to you. He told me things I bet _you_ don't even know."

"I know all about his deception and his plan to turn me against Snow. His plan to make me his puppet so I would cast his curse." Regina practically spat the words like they were vile poison on her tongue.

"Promise me you won't kill him, or let him be killed in this fight, and I'll tell you what I know."

"I already told you, I know everything I need to know about the imp. Now let go of me."

Belle shook her head, refusing to relinquish her grip. "If I'm lying, if I give you information that you already know, our deal is void."

Regina laughed darkly. "Been learning from him, have you? Be careful who you choose as your teacher, dear."

"I've seen the way you are around Emma. And Rumple told me about Henry. You're trying to give up the person you were back home, aren't you? Choosing to kill Rumplestiltskin out of anger and vengeance isn't exactly the fastest way to redemption. No one will have to know about our deal. It'll be your personal excuse for not killing someone you think deserves it, and everyone will think you're being the better person by choosing not to kill him. It's a win-win."

Regina was quiet for a long time, and for a moment Belle was worried. There was a strange smouldering in her eyes, not anger, but fierceness that Belle couldn't identify. Finally Regina said, her voice quiet and deep, "No deal."

Belle's mouth fell open and she quickly closed it. The shock had caught her off guard. She looked at Regina pleadingly. "You don't know what you're turning away from. What you're giving up. Regina, there are things in his past - in _your_ past - that you need to know!"

"Then tell me." Again Belle gave her a pleading look. Regina lowered her head slightly, leaning forward slightly to ensure Belle's eyes were locked firmly on hers. "I have no intention of killing Rumplestiltskin. Or letting him die. But I will not be held to any. more. fucking. deals. Tell me what you know."

Belle gulped, and at last she released her hold on Regina's arm. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Rumple made a deal with your mother before you were born."

"He wanted her to give up her first born in exchange for a spinning wheel that would turn straw into gold. I'm familiar with the story."

"Right. You know what your mother told you. What did she tell you? That she tricked him, got the upper hand, got to keep you?"

Regina's eyes narrowed. "Something along those lines..."

"What she didn't tell you is that Rumple never intended to take you from your mother. He wanted you to be raised by her. But not as she was. He tricked her into stealing magic from an ailing witch - a _dark_ witch. The magic that the witch used came with a price, one Cora never even realized she was paying. She used the magic to destroy the spinning wheel, and from there used it to turn straw into gold on her own. There was some sort of loophole in the deal - one Rumple put there on purpose, of course - that essentially voided their deal if the spinning wheel was ever destroyed."

"I knew she destroyed the spinning wheel..." Regina said, more to herself than Belle.

Belle nodded. "But the price, Regina...the magic made her heart black. It made her incapable of feeling love." Belle leaned in closer. "Even for her child." There was a puff of black smoke and suddenly Belle was alone in the cellar, shivering slightly in the cold.

* * *

Henry say in the doorway of the mausoleum, legs crossed, staring out into the dark forest. Everyone else was underground and from the sounds of things they were all asleep, or at least resting quietly. He knew everyone was uncomfortable being there, but it seemed being with their loved ones was calming enough that none of them wanted to bolt. Still, being with them was difficult for Henry. Everyone knew he was Regina's son, so they tried hard not to say anything that might hurt his feelings, but the hushed whispers that stopped when he came near and the uneasy glances towards the wall of hearts - they had left the curtains closed after discovering it - were enough for Henry. He didn't want to be down there with people who hated his mother. He didn't want to feel the fear and anger and disgust for the woman who raised him.

More importantly, he didn't want them sullying the fond memories he had of this place. It was here he'd at last had an honest conversation with Regina, at last heard the answers to his burning questions, at last been able to express the burning affection he felt for her. He might have been cold and distant since discovering the existence of the curse and Regina's true identity, but that had never stopped him loving her or longing for the relationship they once had. Wiping his tears on the back of his sleeve, he began to quietly hum his favourite lullaby, hearing Regina's voice in his head softly singing the words, feeling her warm breath on his ear as she rested her head next to his on the pillow, as she'd done countless times when he was younger. "Please come home," he whispered, willing his small voice to carry to wherever the Blue Fairy was hiding.

No sooner had he said those words than he heard a rustling in the forest. He turned his head, startled, heart racing. He quickly reminded himself that nothing could hurt him in the mausoleum. He craned his neck and squinted his eyes, trying to make out whatever had caused the sound. A few seconds later his efforts were completely unnecessary: a luminescent figure was passing by, not far from the mausoleum. A luminescent, very _blue_ figure. Henry didn't need any magic to know that this had to be the Blue Fairy. He couldn't make out much from that distance, but he knew this was an odd time and place to find the fairy. Curiosity winning out over his better judgement, as it so often did, Henry slipped out of the mausoleum and made his way through the woods as quietly as possible.

Keeping as much distance between them as he could, Henry followed the tiny blue light through the woods, being extra careful not to trip or stop on any large branches. His steps were still noisier than he'd like and it was making his heart race, but he decided he was far enough away that the fairy wouldn't notice. She seemed pretty intent on reaching her destination, anyway.

The night was warmer than most nights had been lately, but it was still chilly and Henry was starting to shiver in just his t-shirt. The ground was also moist from a fine mist that had fallen earlier in the night, and the moisture was starting to seep through his shoes, making his feet wet and cold. Still the fairy continued, and Henry had come too far to turn back. He tried not to think about the fact that he most likely couldn't find his way back at this point anyway.

It was almost 20 minutes later when the Blue Fairy at last came to rest at a small cabin. Henry crept as close as he dared, moving with agonizing slowness so as not to make noise. When he at last found a spot within earshot where he would still be hidden, he crouched down and waited. The Blue Fairy seemed to be waiting too and it made Henry anxious. He kept looking around, worried the newcomer might spot him. His fears were assuaged a few minutes later when someone approached from the opposite direction, just as oblivious of Henry's presence as the Blue Fairy. His fear, however, was replaced by shock and outrage.


	67. Chapter 67

Chapter 67

**Omg you guys, WHO IS IT? Who knows, I just make this crap up as I go along.**

"Is that the last group?" Belle asked Regina. Up until this point Regina had been disappearing before she even fully materialized between each trip, likely to avoid discussing Belle's revelation. The fact that she was performing her duty as planned was a good sign, but the tightness in her jaw and her avoidance of everyone's gaze had Belle worried.

"Everyone's here," Red replied, having noticed Regina's demeanor.

"Now what?" Snow asked, directing her question to Belle.

"Rumple should have been back by now," she replied, wringing her hands nervously.

"He's probably giving Emma more detailed instructions. He might as well, we're not going anywhere until the fairy gets back anyway." Regina put her back against the wall and slid down until she was sitting cross-legged. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes, doing her best to shut out her surroundings.

Snow took the opportunity to scrutinize her, curious about the odd behaviour. It was worrying her; Regina had been through so much lately and Snow couldn't help worrying that she wasn't handling it all very well. Before she could really process anything there was a slight collective gasp as Emma appeared in their midst. She ignored everyone and made her way straight to Regina. "Is everyone here?" she asked.

"How did you...?" Snow started, glancing around for any sign of Rumplestiltskin.

"It's a long story," Emma replied dismissively. She crouched down next to Regina, who was still leaning back with her eyes closed.

"Everyone's here," Regina drawled in a bored tone.

Emma leaned in a little closer so no one could hear. "Are you alright? What happened?"

At this Regina opened her eyes and looked into Emma's, which were full of worry. A strange expression stole over Regina's face and Emma felt a twinge of curiosity before Regina said, "You need to get back outside. We have no idea when she'll be back." Emma looked at her for a moment, reluctant to leave everyone, but Regina put a hand on her forearm and a moment later she vanished.

"Is everyone ready?" Snow asked, raising her voice only as loud as she dared. She looked around and saw grave but determined faces looking back at her. She caught site of the dwarves, gathered together as usual, and saw all of them nod encouragingly. Red came forward to stand at her side, giving Snow's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. James laced his fingers with Snow's and did his own visual sweep of the room, feeling a sense of pride in his people. But underneath his pride, as well as Snow's, was a sense of dread that was never completely absent from any moment of impending war.

* * *

Emma pulled her jacket a little tighter around herself, unable to ward of the chill in the air despite the fact that it wasn't a particularly cold night. Her nerves were frayed from the past couple days, and her fear for her friends, her family, and especially for Henry was enough to make her ill. And then there was Regina. Her new found friendship with the woman she once despised was unexpected to say the least and not always easy to wrap her head around. Still, Emma wasn't about to turn her away, which was strange given how she usually approached relationships of any kind. But running from Regina wasn't an option because running from _Henry_ wasn't an option; like it or not, the two were inextricably linked. And for once, Emma felt like that was okay. There might always be a twinge of jealousy there, of longing for the parts of Henry's life she'd missed all these years, but maybe with Regina around to fill in the gaps in information, Emma wouldn't have to feel so out of touch anymore. Maybe Regina was actually the key to a closer relationship with Henry. And maybe, just maybe, Regina would get her wish at the end of all of this.

Maybe Regina really would come out of this a hero.

Emma spotted something out of the corner of her eye and ducked down, scanning the horizon for any sign of the fairy. After a minute she spotted a small flicker, and finally she saw the fairy emerge from the woods. Oddly, she was no longer a small fairy flying through the air, but a full-sized woman walking towards her hideout. 'Hope she changed out of those heels,' Emma thought absurdly as she watched the fairy's progress.

Just as she was nearing the perimeter, the point where Jiminy - their dedicated lookout - would flit back inside and warn everyone, she stopped. Simply stopped dead in her tracks. Emma's brow furrowed, and she watched as the fairy backed up a few steps, then began making her way around the perimeter in a wide arc. "Shit!" Emma hissed. But was it possible? Could the fairy know of their plan? Perhaps she sensed their presence somehow. Or maybe...

'No,' Emma thought firmly. She refused to believe that _anyone_ inside was a traitor. Not after everything they'd been through lately. She entertained the idea for a moment that someone else, someone conveniently hidden in Regina's mausoleum, might have betrayed them, but she reminded herself that none of them knew the details of their plan.

'They know enough to tip her off that something is up,' a treacherous voice in Emma's head pointed out.

The fairy continued to circle and finally came to a halt not far from where Emma was hiding. Emma could feel her heart pounding furiously. Had Jiminy warned everyone? Surely he had seen her, and even if she hadn't passed the exact checkpoint he must still have gone in to warn everyone. Why wouldn't he? Still, no one inside was prepared for a full-on assault in an open area. The plan was to ambush her inside where she would be easier to overwhelm, leaving her vulnerable to capture. There was no hope of that out here.

"_And what am I going to do while everyone is ambushing her inside? You can't really expect me to hide in the bushes all night."_

"_Oh no, Miss Swan, quite the contrary. You, my dear, are our secret weapon."_

"_I don't understand..."_

"_Think about it! She'll never see you coming."_

Emma took a deep breath to steady herself. She had a choice to make: wait it out, hoping the fairy would eventually go inside, but risk her simply taking off and possibly finding a new hiding spot, or attacking now and hoping that someone would see or hear the scuffle and everyone would join the fray. Neither option was ideal; the first carried a high risk of them losing any advantage they had gained thus far, setting them back to square one, and the second risked setting their whole plan off-balance, eventually leading to the same fate as option one.

Emma chanced another peek at the fairy and saw that she was looking up at her tucked-away sanctuary with an expression of deep concern. 'Dammit!' Emma cursed silently. The fairy knew they were inside, or at least knew they'd breached her defense. There was no other option. Taking a few rapid deep breaths, Emma rose to face the Blue Fairy. "Looking for me?" The fairy started, clearly shocked by Emma's appearance. She glanced around worriedly. Emma chuckled. "Sorry, no army tonight. Just little ol' me."

Blue's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You don't really expect me to believe you're alone, do you?"

"Believe what you want, but I sure don't see anyone else around, do you?"

"How did you get out?"

"Out of my prison, you mean? The one you stuck me in to torture me?"

Blue gave a pained expression. "That wasn't me. Emma, you don't understand-"

"I'm tired of hearing that from you," Emma said fiercely, taking a step forward. The fairy didn't budge. "You know what I _do_ understand? You're a liar and a menace and you _will_ be brought to justice."

"Justice?" Blue crossed her arms over her chest and fluttered her wings in a gesture of annoyance.

"Yeah, justice. Lucky for you my definition of justice is a little different from yours. See, I don't lock people up so I can torture them." She took another step forward, silently hoping her friends would arrive soon.

Emma had a split second warning as anger flashed in the fairy's eyes before she was struck hard by a solid pulse of magic, sending her to the ground. "I am _sick_ of you hunting me under the guise of justice. You know NOTHING!"

Blue thrust her palm out, sending another pulse towards Emma that would send her flying into a tree. To the fairy's surprise, Emma shot into a sitting position with her hands held out, and the pulse simply knocked her off balance. She quickly recovered and jumped to her feet. The fairy stared at her, mouth open. "Looks like I'm not the only ignorant one around here." Emma flexed her hands, the muscles in her arms tensed, and the fairy was slammed to the ground by an invisible force, the wind knocked out of her. "Sucks, don't it?"

The fairy quickly shrank back to her usual side and shot into the air. "The element of surprise will only get you so far, _Saviour_."

Without warning Emma was struck hard in the back of the head, nearly knocking her down again and blurring her vision. Before she fully regained her senses she heard the roaring of a crowd and looked over to see the 'army' rushing towards the fairy. She spotted Red in full wolf form, lunging to swat the fairy in mid-air. Regina and Rumple stayed back a ways, working together to block the fairy from escaping into the air and out of the fray. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up, vision a little clearer, and saw Snow looking at her with concern. "Are you alright?" she asked, raising her voice over the noise of chaos.

"Yeah, but we lost our advantage," Emma said, struggling against the overwhelming sense of defeat. It was still early, and she knew this wasn't the time to doubt their capabilities, but she knew how powerful the fairy was. She remembered vividly the battle with Rumple and how difficult he had been to overcome; the Blue Fairy was easily ten times the power of the Dark One.

"It's not over yet!" James said, clapping a hand on Emma's shoulder. She nodded and made her way over to Regina while Snow and James headed back to organize the troops.

"Are you alright?" Regina asked, her focus locked on the fairy. She was splitting her power between blocking the fairy's escape and throwing temporary shields up to protect people. It was taking a tremendous effort, but despite it there were still people constantly being tossed into the air or struck to the ground.

"Of course. What-"

"Shield the wolf. Reul is throwing a lot at her and I can't hold it back."

Emma swallowed her 'I'm not sure I can do that' and simply focused her energy on Red. It was difficult, given that her power was newly discovered and still unfamiliar, but she was relieved to find that it was strangely intuitive, especially in comparison to her experience with Regina's. In fact, she didn't even need to focus, she simply needed to allow her desires to meld fluidly with the stream of power; it felt like an extension of her own hand.

Emma could feel the strain of the fairy's magic against her own as she threw shield after shield in front of her friends. Even with protection from three magic users people were still falling to the ground, skidding into trees and crying out in pain from invisible strikes. Red was taking the brunt of the fairy's magic and it took a joint effort from Emma and Regina to protect her from the worst of the blows. Anticipating the fairy's targets was difficult, and it wasn't long before they all slipped up and Grumpy went flying into a tree, landing hard, tangled in the branches. He didn't move.

"Regina, this isn't going the way we planned," Emma shouted over the roar of the battle.

"I know! But it's too late to run."

"I'm not suggesting we run. I'm suggesting we change our plan."

Regina's eyes flicked towards Emma for a second, disbelief in her expression. "You can't really be suggesting what I think you're suggesting. Emma, we can't!"

"What choice do we have?! She's going to kill us all!"

"She's outnumbered and scared; she's just defending herself!"

"Regina, what the hell are you saying? She destroyed your world! She tortured you!"

"So we outnumber her sixty to one and kill her? Emma!"

Emma caught sight of Rumple sliding onto his knees in front of Regina so he could hear better without blocking anyone's sightline. Just as Emma was about to say something she hissed in pain as a tendril of the fairy's magic stung her in the sensitive curve of her side. Regina and Rumple both turned instinctively, thinking Emma had taken a serious blow. "Watch out!" she shouted, throwing her magic back towards Red, who was for a split second completely unprotected. Both Rumple and Regina put the full weight of their magic into joining Emma's efforts, seeing the fairy gearing up for another attack against the wolf.

Rumple realized their mistake first, but too late. Before he could switch targets or even warn the others, the Blue Fairy moved her hand at lightning speed and Regina was knocked backwards, soaring over the tree-strewn field and Emma watched in horror as she crashed through the roof of the fairy's cottage hideout, disappearing from sight. "I would say now is a good time for plan B," Rumple said, turning his attention back to the task at hand.

Emma's jaw clenched. "Fuck weakening and capturing." She sucked in a deep breath and shouted in the direction of Snow and James, "Kill the fairy!"

She heard her cry echoed a dozen times in a dozen voices, including James and Snow's. Red let out a ground-shaking roar and resumed her attack, this time lunging with full force and snapping viciously with no regard for the fairy's life. But just as it seemed the battle was turning in their favour, Emma looked across the field to see what looked like a string of lights advancing for the forest. They quickly came into focus and Emma's jaw dropped. "No," she breathed.

**Okay, so I know some of you are a little confused about Emma suddenly having magical abilities. I'm getting to that, I promise. I wanted it to be more of a cliffhanger reveal so I could sort of pause, rewind, and tell the story of her discovering her magic, but the muses wouldn't let me do it that way.**


	68. Chapter 68

Chapter 68

**So, bad news: my SwanQueen fic has been put on the back burner. A friend of mine recently introduced me to Sanctuary and I am madly in love with Helen Magnus, so I'm working on a Magnus-centric fanfic. I might make it a slight OUaT crossover but I haven't decided yet because I really want it to be about Magnus. I will most likely be including an AU version of Regina, though, so that'll be fun ;) Now there's a pairing I can ship! Sorry to disappoint, but my SQ fic WILL happen sooner or later, and I also intend to write a StableQueen fic because it is my tragic, doomed OTP. Stay tuned :) Also, sorry for rushing through the ending a bit, but I'm anxious to move on to new things, lol.**

"Are you seeing this?" Emma shouted to Rumple.

"I am indeed, dearie. And that is very, _very_ bad news."

Pouring out of the forest were several dozen fairies, all heading quickly towards the battle. It didn't take a genius to figure out where their loyalties lay, or that this would be devastating for everyone standing against them. "We have to retreat," Emma said.

"Too late now, Miss Swan. Reul Ghorm isn't about to just let us go."

"We have to try!"

Rumple grabbed hold of Emma's arm. "If we try retreating we're going to get caught in a perimeter spell and herded like cows to the slaughter. We stay and fight!"

Emma wasn't the only one watching the fairies; she looked around and saw that a growing number of people had now spotted them and were looking to the leaders for instruction. "Snow!" Emma shouted.

"I see them!" Snow called back. Just as she did she was knocked backwards by a blow from the Blue Fairy. She had no breath, no focus left to spend on any comments about the approach of her friends, but Emma saw the spark of triumph in her eyes.

"Emma, dear?" Rumple singsonged.

"What?" Emma said through clenched teeth.

"Curious, don't you think? The arrival of the fairies?"

"Gad damn it, this is not the time for riddles!"

"No, no, not a riddle. Think about it, dearie: where have they been all this time? Have _you_ seen any other fairies in Storybrooke since the breaking of the curse?"

Emma struggled to focus on Rumple words, still trying hard to defend her friends. It took a bit longer than it should have, but eventually his meaning sunk in. "They haven't been on her side all this time. They haven't been with her at all."

"Nor have they been near any of _us_. Which begs the question..."

"Who's side are they on?"

As the cloud of fairies approached from above there was a lull in the battle as everyone looked up, many seeming ready to run. Even Reul Ghorm look up, drawing her magic in and wrapping it around herself in a shield. Emma watched as a small group broke away and flew over the cottage, plunging suddenly inside through the hole Regina had left earlier. The rest hovered overhead, too high up to communicate with anyone on the ground. Emma looked over to see Reul wearing a confused expression as she watched her fellow fairies. They seemed to be having a discussion in the air, but they were barely more than blurry lights at that height. At last Emma saw one of them quickly descend from the cloud and head towards Reul, and when she finally came into focus Emma had a nagging sense of familiarity.

"It's Nova! She's a traitor!" someone shouted, and the cry was echoed throughout the crowd. Without warning over half the 'army' resumed the attack, and with Emma and Rumple both unprepared, a large number of them were thrown clear by the Blue Fairy, who recovered her magic much more quickly. Outrage for their friends was enough to spark the rest of the crowd into battle again, with the exception of James, Snow, Red and Granny, who gathered together and made their way over to Emma.

"Why aren't they attacking?" Snow asked, looking up at the cloud of fairies still hovering overhead.

Before Emma could respond she heard a voice yell "STOP!" and her heart seemed to obey before her brain could even register why. A split second later she saw a small form crash into a nearby tree and land at the base in a crumpled heap. This at last seemed to flip a switch, and as horrifying realization sunk in for Emma, the fairies rapidly descended. By they time they were all hovering at eye level the fighting had stopped; everyone was bound, unable to move, each of the fairies holding at least half a dozen people still with their magic. Only Emma and her group remained free. She rushed towards the crumpled form and didn't even register the people around her.

"Henry?" she said softly, dropping to her knees and pulling him gently into her arms. He let out a tiny groan and Emma let out a sob of relief. "Where does it hurt?"

"I'm okay," he said, wincing as he shifted into a sitting position, Emma holding onto him carefully in case he was more seriously injured than he was letting on. He looked around and caught sight of someone behind Emma. She turned to see the now-familiar face of Jamie looking down at her.

"Is he alright?" Jamie asked, crouching down next to Emma.

"I'm _fine_. Where's Nova?"

James, now standing behind Emma, pointed up. Everyone followed his gaze to the branches of a tree where Nova was carefully extracting Grumpy with the help of a few other fairies. Nova was struggling to hold back tears as they lay the dwarf on the ground. Snow hurried over to them, looking over Grumpy's wounds. "He's going to be okay, Nova," she said softly. Nova nodded, a few tears escaping over her cheeks. Her expression was grimly serious. "Watch over him," Snow said to the dwarves huddled nearby. They all nodded and hurried to their brother's side.

Henry got to his feet, pushing Emma away. "I hope you're all happy!" he shouted, and his voice carried long and loud over the silent crowd. "We came here in peace! The fairies only wanted to talk, to end all this stupid fighting, and you nearly got everyone killed!"

"Henry," Snow started.

"No!" Henry said fiercely. "You're all a bunch of hypocrites, every single one of you! Snow, you said you wanted the battles to end, you wanted a leader who would stop all of this fighting, but here you are in the middle of a battle to try to kill a single creature you outnumber!" At this he turned to Emma, his voice softening. "How could you? You were supposed to _capture_ her, lock her away, not kill her!"

"Henry, you don't understand, she-"

"I don't _understand_? _I_ don't understand? No, _you_ don't understand! That's exactly what got us all into this mess in the first place!" Henry raged.

Jamie stepped forward, putting a comforting hand on Henry's shoulder. "The fairies didn't understand, didn't know who to turn to, Reul Ghorm didn't understand what she was doing, and _none_ of us understand Reul Ghorm. Well it's time we all understand, and the fairies are here to make sure we do. They're here to make _peace_."

Everyone turned to see Nova fly over to Reul, who was now being held firmly in place by ten other fairies. No longer struggling against their power, she looked small and defeated. "Do you see now, Reul? Do you see what your anger and hatred has done? You nearly killed an innocent boy and for what? Ego."

"Nova, please, I-"

"I understand, Reul. Better than most, I should think. You let love blind you, let it distract you from your duty, and I think that's a crime we can all forgive. But you let your love turn to hatred, and you let our hatred rob you or your sense, and for that mistake we have all suffered greatly."

Reul looked up at Nova, mouth open slightly, brow furrowed. "Nova...what are you talking about?"

"I know about Liam, Reul. And his son."

"No," Reul breathed. "You can't possibly...how?"

"Astrid told me. In strictest confidence, of course. She was worried about you, about your state of mind. I was too, for a time, but then you seemed to come around and with the threat of the curse looming we had little attention to spare for anything else."

"I think it's time you explain what's going on," Snow said, taking a step towards the duo.

Nova turned her back on Reul, who was now struggling against her captors in order to stop Nova, but it was no use. "It is a fairy's duty to gather, maintain, and spread the fairy dust that powered our world. We are a small group and, like the dwarves who help us, we are not permitted to fall in love. Since we spend almost our entire lives in the sky working, performing tasks we find very rewarding, this is rarely a concern. Once in a great while, a dwarf is lucky enough to witness the transformation of a diamond into a new fairy. And once in a great while, someone is unfortunate enough to witness the death of one of our long-lived sisters.

"Reul is the only living fairy of her kind. Not born of a diamond, she was born of a star many eons ago. She has witnessed the rise and fall of many worlds, much like our own. She spoke the truth to you all earlier: our world was dying. It is the Blue Star's purpose in life to carry our kind safely from one world to the next when that world reaches the end of its life. Normally this is a smooth transition, carried out and maintained by a collaborative fairy effort, as we are the only beings detached enough from our world to carry out the task without grieving for its loss. And it is here that Reul nearly failed in her task. Had she failed, our world would have crumbled around us, and we would be no more. As it stands, the method we were forced to use was a messy improvisation, and for that we all apologize."

"Manipulating Rumple into creating the Dark Curse," Emma supplied.

"I didn't give Bae the magic bean with the intention of inciting the Dark One's rage!" Reul interjected before Rumple could speak. "But when I saw the Dark One's mistake and his grief, I was desperate for a solution to our problem. I took advantage of his anger in that moment to plant the seed."

"You were distracted by a lover?" Emma asked.

Reul hung her head. "Yes," Nova replied for her. "Reul spent a great deal of time travelling throughout the world as a protector of happy endings. She met Liam-"

"No!" Reul shouted. "Liam is _mine_. His memory is _mine_!"

Nova gave her mentor a pitying look. She sighed heavily. "Alright." She turned back to the crowd. "Suffice it to say, Liam died years ago. Before his death...Reul had a child. A son, named for his father."

Emma's mouth fell open slightly. She glanced at Rumple and saw that he wore a similar expression. "What happened to him?" Snow asked quietly.


	69. Chapter 69

Chapter 69

**This will be the penultimate chapter. Sorry I'm doing a little more tell than show, contrary to my usual style, but I still like the way it's turning out. Last chapter should be up very soon. Are you ready?**

Henry looked up suddenly and Emma followed his gaze. It took a moment for her to register what she was seeing, but when she finally did her heart sank. The group of fairies that had disappeared into the cottage had no re-emerged, and between them the carried a limp form. Emma knew who it was without actually seeing, but Henry hadn't been present to witness Regina flying through the air at breakneck speed. She wanted desperately to shield him from what was sure to be a horrible sight, but as she tried harder to force him away he only fought harder against her. He knew something was wrong. Emma looked up at Snow pleadingly, but she shook her head; there was no protecting Henry from this.

The group of fairies, all looking grim, set the body carefully on the ground at Emma's feet. Henry stood motionless for a moment, staring open-mouthed at the lifeless, broken body. His breathing came in short, ragged gasps until finally her broke into sobs and ran to Regina, throwing his arms around her. "No! No no no no no. Mom, please! Mom, wake up!" He looked up at Emma, then at Rumplestiltskin. "Do something! Heal her!" He was sobbing uncontrollably now, his whole body trembling violently.

Rumple crouched down next to Henry. "I'm sorry, boy. No magic can bring someone back from the dead."

"NO!" he screamed. He leaned down and kissed Regina on the forehead, then the cheek, and Emma felt her own tears pouring down her cheeks at the sight of Henry desperately trying to revive Regina, as Emma had revived Henry not so long ago. Everyone was gathered around the pair now, their heads hung, tears streaming down their faces.

Emma looked towards Snow, but instead her eyes settled on Jamie. He was staring down at Regina, completely still. Tears rolled down his cheeks just as they did everyone else's, but he wore an oddly blank expression. Emma looked past him and locked eyes with Snow, who was making no effort to hide her sobs. James stepped forward, equally unashamed of his grief but still recognizing that he had important things to do. He gave Snow's shoulder a squeeze and looked into her eyes for a moment before sliding past and walking over to Henry. At first the boy resisted, thrashing against James in an effort to stay close to Regina, but before long he gave in and collapsed into James's arms.

"Now do you see what you've done? You've stolen the light from a child, the most heinous crime one can commit, for your _ego_." Nova practically spat the word. Apparently selfishness was a capital crime among fairies.

The Blue Fairy's rage was instantly palpable. It seemed to swell out like a tidal wave. "_Regina_ committed the most heinous crime, not I! The boy's grief is regrettable, but he still has a loving family surrounding him. My boy..." at this she stopped, taking in a ragged breath.

"An eye for an eye is not our way, Reul, but you let yourself become blinded. Blinded by hatred, anger, grief..." Nova turned to face Emma and Snow. "There's a reason fairies aren't supposed to fall in love. I...I didn't understand it for a long time." She cast a pointed look towards Grumpy, surrounded by his dwarf brothers. "Our kind are so accustomed to separating ourselves from the world that we cannot cope with attachment, or with loss. With nowhere to turn, given that she had to keep the time she spent in hiding a secret, Reul's emotions festered. I want to apologize on behalf of my sisters for letting it come to this, but..." she struggled to find the right words.

"They were scared. Scared the townspeople would accuse them of being on Reul's side and scared Reul would either accuse them of being against her or try to recruit them for her own plans. So they went into hiding together."

"You could have shed light on everything a long time ago," Emma said, anger creeping into her words.

Nova hung her head, as did many of the other fairies. "Yes, we know." She raised her head to look at Emma. "But Emma, Reul was my teacher, my mentor! She was a respected leader to all of us! Surely you all must understand how difficult her treachery was to accept!"

Emma glanced around and saw many people nodded. She wasn't surprised; Reul's treachery had been tough for a _lot_ of people to accept. "I am not a traitor! I was doing my duty, trying to spare you all the pain of losing our world, trying to usher in a new age here!"

"Which could have happened seamlessly, and much sooner, had you not schemed to steal Regina's power and kill her," Nova growled.

"Why _did_ you want her power? It doesn't make sense."

"Regina's magic is different from my own. It's more malleable, more suited to the changes it would need to undergo to function properly in this world. I needed a source of power that would be more reliable until I learned to better control my own here."

"Because you knew we wouldn't approve of your treatment of her, and we wouldn't want to lend you our abilities," Nova accused. Reul didn't deny it.

"Regina was a monster. She deserved everything that happened to her and more," Reul muttered bitterly.

Emma growled in frustration. "Will someone _please_ tell me what the hell is going on? What _happened_?"

"Liam-" Nova started.

"You want to talk about an innocent boy? About him losing his light? Regina _murdered_ my son! He wasn't even as old as Henry!" Reul screamed, tears of fury and grief in her eyes.

Nova's brow furrowed. "Reul, Liam was killed by a witch," she said, confused.

"The _Blind_ Witch," Reul hissed.

Emma was more confused than ever by the statement, but as she looked around only Jamie seemed to share her confusion. Everyone else seemed to be nodding their understanding, Rumple wore an expression of dawning understanding mingled with a sort of relief at finally knowing the answer, and Henry wore an expression of shock and disbelief. "Who is the blind witch?" Emma asked, furious that everyone seemed to understand but her. It wasn't her fault she wasn't a god damn fairy tale character.

"The witch that Hansel and Gretel killed. The Queen asked them to go into her house and bring back something - the apple she used to poison Snow White - but they had to be sure not to eat anything or the witch would wake up," Henry explained. His grief appeared to be an a moment of ebbing, thought Emma knew fairy tales would only keep his reality at bay for so long.

"Regina sent dozens of children into that house trying to retrieve that apple. Dozens of children died for her lust for vengeance! And you accuse me of making _mistakes_ for vengeance?" Reul was outraged. "Regina cornered my son, tricked him into entering the house. He was on his way to the market, he was hungry, how could he resist that temptation?!"

Emma shook her head. "Regina did terrible things in her past. We all know that. But she risked her life to bring you to justice, to free this town from imprisonment. She _lost_ her life for you. For all of you. Just like she risked her life to save me, for Henry's sake, in the fire. I've seen Regina at her lowest and she was no _monster_! She was a beaten, broken human being who spent her whole life as a pawn in someone else's selfish chess game." At this she cast a pointed look at Rumple, who carefully avoided her gaze. "She wanted freedom and she wanted love, just like everyone else here! But she was set up for failure from the beginning and not one of you even cared! She did horrible things because she was just as blind to the consequences of her actions as the Blue Fairy, and yet because of one tragic loss in the fairy's life you're willing to forgive her while condemning Regina in the same breath?! Regina has suffered more tragedy, more heartbreak, more loss, more punishment than ANY of you! She came out here tonight in the feeble hope of _at least_ wiping the slate clean for her son. She wanted him to grow up the son of a hero, not the son of a monster. You think Reul's actions were somehow justifiable?" Emma pointed at Regina's body. "Well get out the noose, because Regina paid for her justifiable crimes with her life. Time for Reul to do the same."

Everyone was dead silent. Emma's tears were more out of anger now than anything. She was shivering slightly and she felt completely drained. Emotionally, physically, _and_ magically. She looked over at Henry and he broke free of James to rush into Emma's arms. The silence seemed to drag on forever as people exchanged hugs, tended to their wounded friends, and exchanged concerned looks, unsure what the future now held in store for them. At last it was Jamie who voiced their concern. "What happens now?"

James stepped toward the fairies and looked at Reul. "We're leaving Storybrooke."

"It's not that simple," Reul said. "We can't all just leave. Magic has to be released into the world slowly to avoid-"

"No," Jamie said. It wasn't loud, but in the silence of the still night his voice carried easily to everyone's ears.

Emma turned to him. She hadn't noticed before, but he was still staring at Regina. She suspected he hadn't taken his eyes off of her this whole time. "What's wrong?" she asked.

At last he tore his gaze away and looked up at Reul. "I won't let you destroy this world like you destroyed the last."

Reul's mouth fell open slightly. "I had to! It was dying!"

"And why is that?"

Everyone was staring intently at Jamie now. Many of them were confused, given that they had never met Jamie and had no idea who he was, but he had their full attention nonetheless. He walked over to a patch of grass where a single dandelion was growing. He reached out and grasped the stem between two fingers, and everyone watched the flower quickly wither and die. "Magic is toxic." He stood to face Emma again.

"What the...how..."

"I'm not sure, to be honest. Henry and I were in the forest, trying to convince Nova to gather the fairies and help us, and it just sort of...happened."

"What did?" Snow asked.

"I felt very strange, and suddenly everything went dark for a moment and when I could see again we were in a completely different part of the forest."

"We teleported! And Emma, I can do it too!" Henry couldn't help his enthusiasm.

Emma looked at Rumple. He nodded. "It appears that, here at least, anyone born of magical blood can access the world's unique energy in an entirely new form of magic. It takes a great emotional urgency to break the initial seal."

"That's why you sent Emma after me," Snow said quietly.

"And why he prevented me from getting to you by physical mean," Emma snarled. Snow looked at Rumple, shocked and hurt.

"We needed your abilities, Miss Swan. It was a calculated risk."

"Is this really the time?" James said. He turned back to Reul. "Is what Jamie says true? Is magic toxic?"

"Magic...puts a great strain on the world that holds it. But all worlds die eventually, James."

"Any how many of your old worlds would still exist if it weren't for magic?" Jamie asked. Reul hung her head without answering. Jamie scoffed. "No one is bringing magic to my world. This toxin that has destroyed countless worlds ends here."

Emma walked over to Jamie, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Anyone who doesn't agree stands against us."

Slowly, silently, everyone made their way closer to Emma, facing Reul and the other fairies. Only Rumple remained still, positioned between the two groups, completely frozen. "There...is a way...to end the magic," he said slowly.

"Sacrifice," Reul said simply.

"What kind of sacrifice?" Emma asked, a sense of dread in the put of her stomach.

"Magic can be sacrificed for the good of another. Selfless sacrifice of power can, if the sacrifice is equal to the strength of the power, rid the user of magic entirely," Nova explained. She looked around at her sisters and nodded. She flew over to Grumpy, who still lay unconscious on the ground. She placed a hand over his heart and said, "I sacrifice my power so that he may be healthy and strong for all his days."

There were several gasps and Grumpy's eyes flew open and he jumped to his feet. "What was that?!" he breathed, eyes wide. Nova, who now sat on the ground as a full-sized woman, no longer luminescent, smiled. Grumpy eyes lit up when he saw her and he pulled her to her feet and into a tight hug.

"Well, that's one down," Emma said.

"It may seem simply to you, but there is so sacrifice here equal to my power," Reul said.

"Ego much?" August said from somewhere behind Emma.

Reul bristled. "It is not a statement of ego, merely a fact. I have lived thousands of lifetimes, have gathered magic from more worlds than you can imagine."

"Yes, incredible power..." Rumple murmured.

"Oh, just out with it, we know how badly you want to tell us whatever it is you're scheming," Belle said, rolling her eyes.

Rumple giggled. "Death, my dear, death."

"No!" Reul shouted, struggling against her bonds again.

Rumple sighed. "Not _your_ death, dearie. Hers." He stretched out a long finger towards Regina's body, which now lay at Emma's feet.

Everyone gaped at Rumple. "It's can't be done," Snow breathed. "Can it?"

"Only by an incredibly powerful, incredibly _selfless_ act of sacrifice," Rumple said, swinging his gaze back to the Blue Fairy.

"No. No! I won't do it!"

"You don't have much choice here. Either you get rid of your magic or we kill you."

"That's the deal," Rumple singsonged. Emma rolled her eyes but she heard August chuckle. Henry's eyes were zipping back and forth between Rumple and Reul, trembling with anticipation. He tried to tell himself not to hope, that there was a very real possibility the fairy would choose death over letting Regina live, but he couldn't help it; he needed her back desperately.

"Bring her back, and we'll set you free. You can live any life you choose here. All your debts will be paid," Snow said. She looked around, daring anyone to challenge her decision; no one did.

"I don't know if it will work," Reul said, very quietly.

"It will work. Try." Emma commanded. Snow glanced at her, a faint smile playing at the corner of her mouth.


	70. Chapter 70

Chapter 70

**Thanks so much for reading this guys, and for sticking with it all summer. I've loved all of your reviews and of course, I absolutely love this fandom and all things OUaT. Keep an eye our for more stories to come (hope some Sanctuary fans out there will enjoy my next one) and don't forget to check back with me next summer because I will no doubt be using fanfic to once again carry me through the dreaded hiatus. Enjoy the rest of the ride!**

Reul looked around, tears in her eyes. She struggled against a tide of emotion the threatened to sweep her away from reality. It was not in her nature to be a killer, and yet she could feel the poison of hatred in her blood. "Let it go, Reul," she heard Astrid say quietly. "Reclaim your true purpose. Give the boy his happy ending."

Reul grew to her full size and tucked her wings behind her back as she approached Regina's body. Every stepped back, giving her room. She stared down at the face of the woman she hated so passionately and felt her insides twist unnaturally. She closed her eyes, and finally looked up at the boy. So full of hope, of love for this woman. 'There can still be love here, Reul,' she told herself. She looked up at Jamie, standing behind the boy. "I couldn't do it, could I?" she asked quietly.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "You said it yourself: you can't erase true love."

"I was naive in thinking it was anything less. I'm truly sorry."

"Give her back to us and you'll have no need to apologize." His voice shook slightly as he said the words.

Reul closed her eyes once more and, with a tremendous effort, placed her hand over Regina's heart. It was still beneath her palm. "I..." she swallowed, taking a deep breath. What would life be like as a human? What would it really be like to live in this world, in a life of her own choosing? What would it be like to live without magic? To grow old...to die? 'At the very least, no matter what happens, someday soon it will be over. There will be rest.' Reul took another deep breath and said, "I sacrifice my power so that she may live."

There was a blast of impossibly bright blue light that knocked everyone to the ground, blinding them, deafening them in a roar of magic. When at last it settled, Emma sat up to see Reul on her back, her luminescence gone. Everyone sat up, almost afraid to move. Henry and Jamie both held their breath. They, along with Emma and Snow, stared intently at Regina. For what seemed like eternity they stared at her still form, unchanged in the magical swell. Then, suddenly, there was a loud gasp and they all jumped to the feet, racing towards Regina as she gasped for air. "Relax. Relax, you're alright. Just take deep breaths," Emma said, trying not to sob.

"Mom!" Henry cried, wrapping his arms around Regina. Even as her lungs struggled for air she wrapped her arms around him tightly.

"What happened?" she breathed, looking around at everyone. Her eyes came to rest on Reul, who was now pulling herself weakly into a sitting position.

"It's a long story," Emma said. She looked up and saw Jamie standing a little away from them all, staring at Regina with an odd expression. Emma caught Snow's eye and the both stepped aside.

Henry noticed the movement and looked at Regina, who was now staring up at Jamie. "The Blue Fairy tried to erase his memory of you," Henry whispered.

Regina looked down at him and whispered, "She did?"

Henry nodded. "Yup." He beamed. "It didn't work." Jamie chuckled, having heard their whispered conversation. Regina smiled. "It's okay if you want to be with him. But you'll come back to visit, right?"

"Henry...I'm not going anywhere. Not without you, anyway. I promise." She kissed the top of his head.

"Even if it means being around Emma all the time?" he asked.

"Yeah, kid. She's stuck with me," Emma said, arms crossed over her chest, smiling at the reunion.

Henry nodded his approval and climbed out of Regina's lap. She got to her feet, feeling a little light-headed but otherwise fine, and made her way over to Jamie. "You weren't kidding about not looking any different," he said.

"Is there a word for a woman who's twenty years older than you but looks twenty years younger?"

"Genetically gifted?" He smiled. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Regina, breathing in her familiar, intoxicating scent. She held him tightly, relishing the warmth of him against her body. All she had to do was close her eyes and she could pretend the entire world ceased to exist around him.

That is, until she heard a certain someone clear his throat. Regina turned her head and Jamie looked up to see Rumple standing just a few feet away. He smiled. "Right, well, now that I have your attention..."

"Yes, thank you for everything you've done. The, uh...good stuff, anyway," Jamie said.

"How did a man born of this world come by magic?" Rumple blurted, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"You really don't know, Rumple?" Reul said, her voice weak after the incredible exertion. Rumple looked down at her, confused. "Jamie is the descendant of someone from our world. Someone you once knew quite well."

Rumple shook his head. "No. No, Bae is supposed to be _here_," Rumple said.

"Time runs very differently here, Rumplestiltskin. It runs much more quickly than you ever anticipated. Bae is long gone."

"You're lying," Rumple said fiercely.

"Jamie Young is your son's great great great grandson," Reul said. She looked up at Jamie. "You mentioned him to me earlier, remember? Bae Tiene, a family hero? He was a renowned physician, was he not?"

Jamie nodded slowly, eying Rumple. "Yes. But how can you be sure he's the boy you speak of?"

"Tiene means fire. And your ability to use magic could only have come from out world. Not to mention you bear a striking number of similar features."

Rumple gaped at Jamie. So did Emma. Regina was the first to notice her reaction and gave her a questioning look. "Your name is James Young?" she said.

"Yes. Why?"

Emma swallowed hard, her eyes flickering to Henry for a moment. "You son's name is Brian."

"You have a son?" Regina said, looking back at Jamie.

He sighed. "My first relationship after I left Storybrooke. I think I was just looking for a way to lose myself. One day she ran off and I...I'm sorry to say I wasn't all that torn up about it. It wasn't until Brian was in his teens that I even learned of his existence, and by then he wanted nothing to do with me. How do you know him?" he asked Emma.

"He's my dad, isn't he?" Henry said quietly. Emma nodded, a pained expression on her face. "And he didn't die in a fire."

"He did, I'm afraid," Jamie said. Regina rested her head on his shoulder comfortingly.

"Henry, he was a confused man. Abandoned by his mom, by the time he found James he was beyond reason. He felt like the world owed him something and when he didn't get it he just shut down. It's...hard to explain. He was so charismatic when we met, I just...I didn't see the darkness in him until it was too late. I found out about the fire after I went to jail. After he left me there. I'm so sorry, Henry, I just thought if he was already dead why not let you have a picture of him as a hero?"

Henry nodded, looking down at the ground. He knew he forgave Emma deep down, but it would be a while before he could acknowledge it. Reminding himself that at least he had his family back, and finally together, was at least some comfort. "You know, Reul is the only powerful one here," he said when he lifted his head.

"Yeah, that's true," Emma said, turning to Rumple. "What are _you_ going to do to give up your magic?"

"Give up...what are you talking about?" Regina said. Henry briefly explained their decision to give up magic so they could leave Storybrooke without destroying this new world. Regina looked at Rumple, stunned.

"A travesty after all our hard work, wouldn't you say dear?" Rumple said with a smile.

"I know something that will work," Snow said. Everyone turned to her, curious. She looked at Regina and Jamie, then at Rumple. "Give Regina back the life you stole from her. Give her and Jamie back the years they should have had together."

"An excellent suggestion," Belle said, eying Rumple.

Regina and Jamie, still wrapped in each others' arms, stared at Rumple. He looked around and everyone, all looking at him expectantly. "We can't leave until all of our magic is gone, Rumple," James said.

"You can have a normal life. At last," Belle said, smiling.

Rumple nodded slowly. He stepped forward, his eyes locked on Belle. As long as he focused on her and her alone, he could drown out the fear, at least long enough to do what needed to be done. "I sacrifice...my power...so that you may reclaim the years you deserve together."

Another roaring wave and deafening magic, another blinding surge of light that at least everyone was prepared for this time. When it all cleared there were several gasps, and this time a hushed murmur traveled through the crowd.

Emma couldn't believe the change in Regina. She was certainly still recognizable, but there was a glow of youth about her now. Dressed down in jeans and a t-shirt, she had still managed to look like a politician; now she practically looked like a teenager. Her hair was once again long, but rather than matted and tangled it was shiny and tumbled down her back in thick, beautiful waves. Jamie, on the other hand, was completely transformed. The lines of age - and stress, no doubt - had vanished. His hair was dark chocolate brown once more, and he felt the aches of his years vanish. The couple, feeling cleansed of their troubled pasts, beamed at each other and kissed passionately. Everyone cheered and clapped and whistled.

Regina pulled away, flushing slightly in all the attention. She broke free of Jamie's grasp and walked over to Snow. To everyone's surprise - their very audible surprise as many of them gasped or whispered to their friends or even exclaimed aloud - Regina wrapped her arms tightly around Snow. In shock, it took Snow several moments to recover enough to reciprocate the gesture. "I missed you," Regina whispered, too low for anyone but Snow to hear.

"I missed you too," Snow whispered, fresh tears joining the one that had already dried on her cheeks. "I'm sorry."

Regina pulled back slightly to look into Snow's eyes. "I...I don't know if it'll ever go away. But..."

"It's okay, Regina. I know." They pulled each other close again.

Emma looked over to see Rumple, now looking much more like Mr. Gold, hugging Belle. He seemed strangely small as they stood engaged in their own whispered conversation. She felt a strange pang of emotion as she watched them that she couldn't quite identify. "Penny for you thoughts."

Emma whirled around to see August smiling at her. "Shouldn't you be with Mar...uh, Gepetto?"

"He's at the mausoleum. We've already had time to catch up a bit, this is nothing new for us. Shouldn't you be celebrating with your family?"

"It's not exactly a reunion for us, either."

"Ah," August said, nodding.

"Don't say 'ah' all knowing like that," Emma said, annoyed.

"Feeling left out of the festivities?" He teased.

"Ugh. You're such a child," she muttered.

"You know," August said, raising his voice, "we still have another magical powerhouse to deal with, don't we?"

Everyone looked pointedly at Regina. "It's gone," she said. "My magic must have vanished when I died. I don't feel anything anymore."

Emma walked slowly towards Regina. Their eyes locked. "I still have a sacrifice left to make."

"Do you...do you need to? Won't your magic just...stop, once we leave Storybrooke?" Regina looked at Rumple, who shrugged. Reul Ghorm gave the same response.

"Maybe it will. But I have an opportunity here and now and I want to take it." Emma took another step closer, Regina eyeing her with confusion, and placed both of her hands on Regina's waist. "I sacrifice my power...so that you can have the choice that was stolen from you so long ago."

Regina's eyes widened as she felt a tingling, warming sensation flood her abdomen. Emma felt as though warm air were being sucked from her body, leaving her cold and feeling empty, but she smiled as Regina blinked back tears. "Thank you," Regina whispered.

"You have a chance to live the life you were meant to live. As part of our family." Regina wrapped her arms around Emma, who returned the gesture, both women fighting back tears. It was amazing they had any left to shed.

"Henry, m'boy," Rumple said quietly as everyone began to talk animatedly with one another. Crowds surged forward to shake hands with the former Evil Queen, and to congratulate Snow and Charming on their triumph, and some even shook hands with Reul, showing their desire to let go of any feud.

Henry looked up at Rumple, now nothing more than an ordinary man. "You know, this makes you my great great great great...uh…grandpa. Kinda weird."

"Regina is your great grandmother," Rumple pointed out.

Henry's mouth fell open. "Oh my god," he breathed. "I forgot about that."

Rumple chuckled, ruffling Henry's hair. "I have a present for you. Grandson." He winked.

"Really? What is it?"

Rumple chuckled again. He reached into his pocket and pulled out an antique ring, now tied on a silver chain. "It's an old family heirloom. I don't much care now what happens to the contents of my shop, but I'd like that to stay in the family."

"Thanks!" Henry said. Rumple smiled and headed back to where Belle was waiting for him. Henry examined the ring closely, wondering just how old it really was. Hundreds of years at least. As he twirled it he noticed it catch the light of the rising sun, shining brilliantly for a moment. Finally he pulled the chain over his head and tucked the ring into his shirt, joining in the festivities again. He never noticed that despite the beauty of the cool morning air, the sky was completely overcast.

**So Bae is long gone. Sorry guys, I just had to.**


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